Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola (Reakirt, [1867])
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male light blue with darker veins and dusky border; female darker. Underside of forewing with postmedian row of 5 round black spots circled with white.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 1/8 inches (2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females with an erratic flight during daytime. Females lay eggs singly on flower buds of host during midday. Caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods, sometimes leaves; and are tended by ants which presumably protect the caterpillars in return for their sugary secretions.
Flight: All year in South Texas; 3 broods from March-November in the remainder of its residential range; migrates north once each year after hibernating in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), rattleweed (Astragalus), mesquite (Prosopis), indigo bush (Dalea), mimosa (Albizia), and indigo (Indigofera) species.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from a variety of herbs including spearmint and white sweet clover.
Habitat: Grasslands, fields, desert, meadows, weedy areas, creeksides.
Range: Resident from southern California, the Southwest, and Texas through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. Summer migrant north and east through the Mississippi River states to Wisconsin and Ohio.
Conservation: Not 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:
Hemiargus isola
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 1365 verified sightings
Observation date: May 04, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2018
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Mar 18, 2021
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: May 12, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Texas, Kimble County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 08, 2022
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: L.Hale
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Nov 14, 2021
Submitted by: Embunnik
Region: Texas, Medina County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Jan 25, 2022
Submitted by: pamelmmc
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Apr 24, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Burnet County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Jun 17, 2019
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 08, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2022
Submitted by: Ginsmurph
Region: Texas, Taylor County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Blaine County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 21, 2022
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