Marine Blue
Leptotes marina (Reakirt, 1868)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside blue; male with purple tinge, female with no white. Underside of forewing with unbroken pale brown bands from costa to inner margin.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol to find females. Eggs are laid singly on flower buds of the host plant; caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods.
Flight: April-September in the north, all through the year in South Texas and southern California.
Caterpillar Hosts: Leadwort (Plumbago) and many legumes including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), milkvetch (Astragalus), and mesquite (Prosopis).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical and southwestern open areas including mesquite scrub, city gardens, desert, alfalfa fields, and waste areas.
Range: Southern California east through the Southwest, Mexico and Baja California to Guatemala. Wanders and temporarily colonizes north to Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, and Louisiana.
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.
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 169 - 192 of 1220 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 03, 2022
Observation date: Sep 24, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Noble County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 29, 2022
Observation date: Sep 24, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Kay County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 27, 2022
Observation date: Aug 23, 2022
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: henryr10
Region: Clermont County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: Kim S Adams
Region: Morgan County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2022
Submitted by: Kim S Adams
Region: Morgan County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 1985
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2022
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 24, 1984
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: radek_smolec
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 05, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 08, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: natasharose
Region: Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 05, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 8 of 51
- next ›