North American Ecology (US and Canada)
provided by North American Butterfly Knowledge Network
Resident across northern and western North America, with isolated populations in the central/southern/eastern US (Scott 1986). Habitats are coastal dunes, moist prairie, open woodland from northern lower austral zone to the edge of the arctic/alpine tundra. Host plants are usually herbaceous or shrubs and include many species, but mostly in one family, Leguminosae. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Larvae are tended by ants. Individuals overwinter as pupae. There are is one flight each year with the approximate flight times MAR15-MAY15 in N. Calif.; MAY15-JULY15 further north and in high altitudes; Feb1-Apr30 in S. Calif. and Mar30-Apr30 in GA (Scott 1986).
Conservation Status
provided by University of Alberta Museums
Not of concern.
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Cyclicity
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One flight annually, as early as April in the south to August in the mountains; peaks during June.
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Distribution
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The Silvery Blue occurs as several subspecies across most of Canada and the USA, from Alaska to northern Georgia and Baja California, Mexico (Opler 1999). Further research may show that some of these populations may actually be different species (Dirig and Cryan 1991).
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General Description
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The uniform brown-grey underside with a single row of white-edged submarginal dots, and complete absence of marginal markings, make this an easily identifiable blue. Subspecies couperi occurs throughout most of Alberta, and oro is found in the extreme south (Bird et al. 1995). The larger, paler, populations in the southwestern Mountains are subspecies columbia (C. Schmidt, unpubl. data).
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Habitat
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Ubiquitous throughout many open habitats, from alpine meadows to alfalfa fields.
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Life Cycle
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"Eggs are laid on the unopened flower buds of the host plant, and larvae feed on recently opened flowers (Layberry et al. 1998). The colour of the larva is dependent on the type and part of the plant being eaten, ranging from green (when feeding on leaves) to whitish or purple when feeding on flowers (Layberry et al. 1998). Larvae always have a darker dorsal and lateral stripe and pale oblique lateral bands and are usually tended by ants (Layberry et al. 1998). The pupa hibernates.
The Silvery Blue is one of the few species able to take advantage of non-native plants seeded along roadsides, where the larvae feed on alfalfa (Layberry et al. 1998). It is equally at home in native prairie grasslands and alpine meadows, and males sometimes form large mud-puddling congregations."
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Trophic Strategy
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The larval food plant is not reported in Alberta. In eastern Canada, a number of legumes (Fabaceae) are used, including introduced species such as cow vetch (Vicia cracca), white sweet clover (Melilotus alba), trefoil (Lotus spp.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and natives such as wild pea (Lathyrus spp.) and milk-vetch (Astragalus spp.) (Layberry et al. 1998).
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Glaucopsyche lygdamus
provided by wikipedia EN
Glaucopsyche lygdamus, the silvery blue, is a small butterfly native to North America. Its upperside is a light blue in males and a dull grayish blue in females. The underside is gray with a single row of round spots of differing sizes depending upon the region.
G. lygdamus is found over much of the western United States and most of Canada extending north excepting most of Nunavut and the high Arctic islands. Wingspan is from 18 to 28 mm.[2][3] It occurs in a variety of habitats including alpine meadows, shale barrens, dunes, and wooded areas.[4] It feeds on Lupinus plants.[5]
Subspecies
Listed alphabetically:[6]
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G. l. afra (W. H. Edwards, 1884) – Afra (silvery) blue
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G. l. arizonensis McDunnough, 1934 – Arizona silvery blue
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G. l. australis (F. Grinnell, 1917) – southern (silvery) blue
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G. l. columbia (Skinner, 1917) – Columbia blue or Skinner's (silvery) blue
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G. l. couperi Grote, 1873 – Couper's silvery blue
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G. l. deserticola (Austin & J. Emmel, 1998) – Mojave silvery blue
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G. l. incognitus Tilden, 1974 – Behr's silvery blue
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G. l. jacki Stallings & Turner, 1947 – Jack's (silvery) blue
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G. l. lygdamus (Edward Doubleday, 1841) – (Georgian) silvery blue
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G. l. mildredae F. Chermock, 1944 – Mildred's silvery blue
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G. l. minipunctum (Austin, 1998) – mini-spotted silvery blue
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G. l. nittanyensis (F. Chermock, 1944) – Appalachian silvery blue
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G. l. oro Scudder, 1876 – oro (silvery) blue
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G. l. palosverdesensis (E. Perkins & J. Emmel, 1977) – Palos Verdes blue
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G. l. pseudoxerces (Emmel & Emmel, 1998) – false Xerces (silvery) blue
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G. l. sabulosa (Emmel, Emmel & Mattoon, 1998) – sand dune silvery blue
Visually similar species
References
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^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
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^ Jim P. Brock and K. Kaufman. (2003). Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin, p.124.
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^ a b c Silvery Blue, Butterflies of Canada
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^ "Glaucopsyche lygdamus". explorer.natureserve.org.
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^ Mitten, J. B.; Sturgeon, K. B. (1982). "1. Biotic Interactions and Evolutionary Change". Bark Beetles in North American Conifers. University of Texas Press. p. 14. ISBN 0292707444.
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^ Glaucopsyche at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
- Darby, Gene (1958). What is a Butterfly. Chicago: Benefic Press. p. 36.
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Glaucopsyche lygdamus: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Glaucopsyche lygdamus, the silvery blue, is a small butterfly native to North America. Its upperside is a light blue in males and a dull grayish blue in females. The underside is gray with a single row of round spots of differing sizes depending upon the region.
G. lygdamus is found over much of the western United States and most of Canada extending north excepting most of Nunavut and the high Arctic islands. Wingspan is from 18 to 28 mm. It occurs in a variety of habitats including alpine meadows, shale barrens, dunes, and wooded areas. It feeds on Lupinus plants.
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