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 169 - 192 of 1367 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 01, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 17, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2022
Submitted by: Jasonk03
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: May 25, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jun 04, 2022
Observation date: May 29, 2022
Submitted by: Rozelle Wright
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: May 20, 2022
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 24, 2022
Observation date: May 10, 2022
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 15, 2022
Observation date: May 20, 2020
Submitted by: Justme
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Mar 18, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Mar 18, 2022
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: danielfoxnm
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Dec 11, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 16, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 30, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 25, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 20, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jan 15, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 20, 2022
Observation date: Dec 29, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Dec 08, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 14, 2021
Observation date: Dec 05, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 14, 2021
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