Sonoran Blue
Philotes sonorensis (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Our only blue with red spots on forewing. Upperside silvery blue; forewing of both sexes with red spots at outer margin; hindwing of female also with red spots.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 inch (2.2 - 2.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol with a weak flight near the host plant for females. Eggs are laid singly on the leaves, and caterpillars bore into them to feed. Chrysalids hibernate under stones.
Flight: One flight from February-March.
Caterpillar Hosts: Stonecrop (Dudleya species) in the Crassulaceae family.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Rocky washes, outcrops, and cliffs in desert.
Range: Very local. Placer County, California west to Santa Clara County; along coast through southern California to Baja California.
Conservation: Subspecies extinctis occurred in the upper San Gabriel river wash in southern California, but has been extinct since 1968 when its habitat was destroyed.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Protect colonies from habitat modification.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 272 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 26, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 27, 2025
Observation date: Mar 25, 2024
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 13, 2024
Observation date: Apr 10, 2024
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 11, 2024
Observation date: Mar 25, 2024
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 28, 2024
Observation date: Mar 22, 2024
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 25, 2024
Observation date: Feb 25, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2024
Observation date: Mar 08, 2024
Submitted by: TomPeterson
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: Will K
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 18, 2023
Observation date: Mar 23, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
Observation date: Mar 13, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 15, 2022
Observation date: Mar 01, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: May 02, 2021
Submitted by: dkaralun
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 04, 2021
Observation date: Mar 17, 2020
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 18, 2020
Observation date: Feb 14, 2020
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 10, 2020
Observation date: Feb 18, 2020
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 10, 2020
Observation date: Feb 14, 2020
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 10, 2020
Observation date: Feb 07, 2020
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 09, 2020
Observation date: Mar 05, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 21, 2020
Observation date: Mar 25, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2019
Observation date: Mar 18, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 19, 2019
Observation date: Mar 18, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 19, 2019
Observation date: Mar 15, 2019
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 15, 2019
Observation date: Mar 06, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 22, 2019
Observation date: Mar 31, 2018
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 02, 2018
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