Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male lilac-blue with dark borders. Female may be brown, or blue with wide dark borders. Below, black or white postmedian spots are larger on forewing than on hindwing.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol during the day near host plants for females. Eggs are laid on new growth of host plants. Caterpillars feed first on leaves, then flowers and seedpods. Caterpillars produce a sugary secretion which is eaten by the ants that protect them. Second-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: April-August depending on location.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various lupine species (Lupinus) in the pea family.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including Eriogonum and various composites.
Habitat: Forest clearings and edges, prairie, sagebrush, chaparral, coastal dunes, fields.
Range: British Columbia east to the western edge of the Great Plains, south to New Mexico, Arizona, southern California, and Baja California.
Conservation: The Mission Blue, subspecies missionensis, is endangered in California. Loss of native grassland habitat and invasion of woody species has restricted the butterfly to 4 areas on the northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula. The largest remaining population is protected in San Bruno Mountain County Park, where monitoring of the butterfly population and control of invasive species continues. Plebeius icarioides missionensis has The Nature Conservancy rank of T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: Maintain or improve habitat and ensure adequate host and nectar plants for all rare populations.
BAMONA Shop
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 1 - 24 of 1185 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 23, 2025
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Crook County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 24, 2019
Submitted by: John Heneghan
Region: Garfield County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 06, 2025
Observation date: Jun 30, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 06, 2025
Observation date: Jun 24, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 29, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 29, 2025
Observation date: Jun 13, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 17, 2025
Observation date: Jun 13, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 17, 2025
Observation date: Jun 08, 2025
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 09, 2025
Observation date: Jun 05, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 01, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 05, 2025
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 06, 2025
Observation date: May 22, 2025
Submitted by: Fladder
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 03, 2025
Observation date: May 20, 2025
Submitted by: Fladder
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 03, 2025
Observation date: May 20, 2025
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 02, 2025
Observation date: Jun 01, 2025
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 02, 2025
Observation date: Jun 02, 2025
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 02, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2025
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 31, 2025
Observation date: May 22, 2025
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 27, 2025
Observation date: May 22, 2025
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 22, 1982
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 05, 2025
Observation date: May 01, 2025
Submitted by: TomPeterson
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 04, 2025
Observation date: Jun 11, 2019
Submitted by: Claude Rioux
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 01, 2025
Observation date: May 23, 2021
Submitted by: Tulameen Nienke
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 01, 2025
Observation date: Mar 31, 2025
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 18, 2025
- 1 of 50
- next ›