Greenish Blue
Plebejus saepiolus (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male iridescent green-blue; females brown with blue at wing bases. Underside is pale gray with green at wing bases and rows of irregular black spots.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm)
Life History: Males patrol near the host plants, close to the ground. Eggs are laid in flower buds of clover; caterpillars eat the developing flowers. Half-grown caterpillars hibernate, then resume feeding and development the following year.
Flight: One flight from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Flowers of various clovers, especially alsike (Trifolium hybridum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including clovers (Trifolium species).
Habitat: Bogs, roadsides, stream edges, open fields, meadows, open forests.
Range: Boreal western North America from central Alaska south along mountains to southern California and southwestern New Mexico; east across southern Canada and northern Great Lakes area to Maine.
Conservation: The San Gabriel Blue, an undescribed subspecies, is extinct. It lived in wet meadows of the Big Pine Recreation Area in the San Gabriel mountains of southern California until the U. S. Forest Service drained the meadows. Excluding the San Gabriel Blue, the species has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
NCGR:
Management Needs: Restore meadow habitat in Big Pine Recreation Area.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 731 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 06, 2016
Submitted by: Niayre
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jul 17, 2018
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Aug 16, 2018
Observation date: Jun 28, 2018
Submitted by: taogirl
Region: Delta County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 10, 2018
Observation date: Jul 18, 2018
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 07, 2018
Observation date: Jul 11, 2018
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: Jun 23, 2018
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 31, 2018
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 26, 2018
Observation date: Jul 08, 2017
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 26, 2018
Observation date: Jul 08, 2017
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2018
Observation date: Jun 28, 2017
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2018
Observation date: Jul 04, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 20, 2018
Observation date: Jun 28, 2018
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jul 01, 2018
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: Ellen Riggins
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: layberry
Verified date: Jun 30, 2018
Observation date: Jun 20, 2018
Submitted by: naers
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2018
Observation date: Jun 13, 2018
Submitted by: 4oclockwatch
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2018
Observation date: Jun 13, 2018
Submitted by: 4oclockwatch
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 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 18, 2018
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2018
Observation date: Jun 07, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 24, 2018
Observation date: May 18, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 21, 2018
Observation date: Jun 10, 2017
Submitted by: terpikeraunos
Region: Mineral County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Feb 26, 2018
Observation date: Jun 10, 2017
Submitted by: terpikeraunos
Region: Mineral County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Feb 22, 2018
Observation date: Jun 10, 2017
Submitted by: terpikeraunos
Region: Mineral County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Feb 21, 2018
Observation date: Aug 17, 2017
Submitted by: taogirl
Region: Mineral County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 26, 2017
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