Sierra Nevada Blue
Plebejus podarce (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male gray-blue, female red-brown. Underside of forewing with black arrowhead-shaped spots that point inward. Hindwing with discal spot not black.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 inches (2.2 - 2.6 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid singly on leaves, bracts, or sepals of the host plant. Caterpillars or chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight from June-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon).
Adult Food: Flower nectar including yellow composites and bistort.
Habitat: Subalpine meadows.
Range: Southern Oregon to central California in Klamath Range and Sierra Nevada.
Conservation: Not usually of conservation concern but the meadow habitat of subspecies podarce in California may be negatively affected by trampling from grazing cattle and hikers.
NCGR: G3,G4 - . Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range OR Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. All subspecies are of conservation concern.
Management Needs: Study impact of hikers and cattle grazing on habitat and populations. Comment: The Committee on Scientific Names of North American Butterflies considers podarce to be a subspecies of A. glandon.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 164 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 06, 2011
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 1989
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2025
Observation date: Jul 12, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 12, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 22, 2017
Submitted by: ocean_beach_goth
Region: Lane County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: kd_reno
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 09, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: robertpb
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 21, 2021
Observation date: May 23, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2019
Submitted by: jbedortha31
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2019
Observation date: Jul 05, 2019
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 13, 2019
Observation date: Jul 12, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 31, 2018
Observation date: Aug 06, 2016
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 20, 2018
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2018
Observation date: Jun 12, 2004
Submitted by: mgfrye
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2018
Observation date: Jun 10, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 10, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 24, 2018
Observation date: Jul 05, 2017
Submitted by: shastamax
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 06, 2017
Observation date: Jun 26, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2016
Observation date: Jul 09, 2016
Submitted by: ryDLar
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 11, 2016
Observation date: Jul 03, 2013
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 06, 2013
Observation date: Jul 05, 2012
Submitted by: eal79
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 18, 2012
Observation date: Jul 04, 2012
Submitted by: eal79
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 16, 2012
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