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 193 - 216 of 1370 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Nov 08, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 20, 2021
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 15, 2021
Observation date: Oct 28, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 14, 2021
Observation date: Jun 17, 2021
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 12, 2021
Observation date: Oct 17, 2021
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 12, 2021
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 12, 2021
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Oct 28, 2021
Submitted by: 1tom2go
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Oct 25, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 30, 2021
Observation date: Oct 23, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 30, 2021
Observation date: Oct 20, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Chaves County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
Observation date: Oct 02, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 28, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 21, 2021
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 19, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 15, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 13, 2021
Observation date: Sep 07, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 12, 2021
Observation date: Aug 22, 2021
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
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