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 145 - 168 of 273 verified sightings
Observation date: May 02, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James R. Mori)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Apr 22, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: May 22, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Feb 23, 1961
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert F. Denno)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 24, 1963
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rudi Mattoni)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 01, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (William Swisher)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 09, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (William Swisher)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 24, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 10, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 23, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 20, 1965
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kenneth Denton)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 15, 1964
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Erich Walter)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Feb 07, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Feb 10, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Apr 08, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Norman Nakanishi)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 13, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 20, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Feb 27, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James R. Mori)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 10, 1963
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kenneth Denton)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 01, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Priestaf)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 17, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Fred T. Thorne)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Feb 26, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (David Bauer)
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 04, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (K. Hughes, J. Lane)
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Mar 23, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
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