Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas (Godart, [1824])
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: One narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male iridescent blue; summer females uniformly brown, spring females smaller with much blue at the wing bases. Underside of hindwing pale gray with black bar at end of cell, distinct black spots, and three large orange spots at outer margin near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol near the host plants during daylight hours. Females lay eggs on flower buds; caterpillars eat buds, flowers, and seeds. The caterpillar hibernates, pupating the following spring. Although most Lycaenids do not perch with open wings, Eastern Tailed-Blues sometimes bask with their wings at a 45 angle.
Flight: Three broods from April-November in the north, many broods from February-November in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many plants in the pea family including yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), alfalfa (Medicago sativa); various species of vetch (Vicia), clover (Trifolium), wild pea (Lathyrus), and bush clover (Lespedeza); and others.
Adult Food: This butterfly has a low flight and a short proboscis, thus is found at flowers close to the ground which are open or short-tubed. These include white sweet clover, shepherd's needle, wild strawberry, winter cress, cinquefoils, asters, and others.
Habitat: Many open, sunny places including weedy areas and disturbed habitats.
Range: Southeast Canada and Eastern United States west to western North Dakota, central Colorado, and central Texas. Also ranges from southeastern Arizona, western New Mexico, and west Texas south to Costa Rica.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes comyntas
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 11660 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 16, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jun 15, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jul 26, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: May 17, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: May 18, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 11, 2025
Observation date: Jun 25, 2025
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Holt County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2025
Submitted by: Puidwen
Region: Greene County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Cayuga County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Cayuga County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2025
Observation date: Jun 04, 2025
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 03, 2025
Observation date: Jun 29, 2025
Submitted by: ebea
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 30, 2025
Observation date: Jun 27, 2025
Submitted by: John Heneghan
Region: Kane County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 28, 2025
Observation date: Jun 08, 2025
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 17, 2025
Observation date: May 22, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 22, 2025
Observation date: May 02, 2025
Submitted by: greggra
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 19, 2025
Observation date: May 15, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 16, 2025
Observation date: Jun 27, 1995
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 08, 2025
Observation date: Jan 30, 2025
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Belize District, Belize
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 01, 2025
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