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Pacific Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes enoptes) |
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Pacific Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes enoptes [Boisduval]) Wing span: 3/4 - 7/8 inches (1.8 - 2.3 cm). Identification: Geographically variable. Upperside of male is lilac blue with dark borders; female is brown usually with an orange patch on margin of hindwing. Underside of both sexes is off-white with black spots. Those of forewing larger and mo Life history: Dotted-Blues usually stay near their host plants. Males patrol around the host plants all day to find females. Eggs are laid singly on flowers or buds; caterpillars eat flowers and fruits and are tended by ants. Chrysalids hibernate Flight: One flight from mid-May to October depending on host and location. Caterpillar hosts: Various Eriogonum species including Nude Buckwheat, Wright's Buckwheat, Inflated Buckwheat, and others. Adult food: Flower nectar, especially from Eriogonum. Habitat: Sun-exposed rocky or sandy flats or slopes in foothills, mountains, desert, and along coast. Range: Scattered distribution throughout the western United States from Washington south through Pacific Coast states to northern Baja California. Also Nevada and northwest Arizona. Conservation: Smith's dotted-blue, Euphilotes enoptes smithi, is endangered because its California coastal habitat is being damaged by increased human activity including housing developments, recreation, and sand mining. |
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