Observation date: January 11, 2025
Date notes: This was along the Canyon Loop Trail at Catalina State Park, in Arizona, near Tucson.
Submitted by: Lisa Nagle
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: This butterfly is only supposed to be in the north/NE of USA and is considered endangered, so we are perplexed. It was sunny, but has been down to freezing at nights, and only got into the 40s/50s F, during the day, here at Catalina State Park in Arizona near Tucson, AZ.
Status: Resident
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 27, 2025
Coordinator notes: BAMONA notes that the "...western population (subspecies melissa) is found in the Intermountain West from Canada to Baja California, plains, and prairies east to northwestern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota. But the FW is missing the orange border, so I suspect it's something else. Difficult to be sure without a pic of the underside. JRains This is definitely not in the melissa group but appears to be Plebejus "acmon" or "lupini" texanus. Its status as a subspecies of acmon, texanus as a species or lupini is controversial-Ken Davenport Tucson is a texanus common locality.
