Acmon blue
Icaricia acmon, the Acmon blue, is a North American butterfly. It ranges mainly in California but can be seen north to Oregon and south through Baja California.
| Acmon blue | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Icaricia |
| Species: | I. acmon |
| Binomial name | |
| Icaricia acmon (Westwood, [1851]) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Wingspan is 17-30 mm.[1] The tops of the wings are blue with dark edges in males and brown in females. Its underside is white with black spots for both sexes with a red-orange band on the hindwing.[2] Caterpillars are yellow with white hairs and a green stripe down the back.[1]
Adults feed on nectar while caterpillars can feed on deerweed, buckwheats, lupines, trefoils, and milkvetches.[3][1]
Like many other lycaenid butterflies, it has a mutualistic relationship with ants, who protect Acmon blue larvae in exchange for honeydew that the larvae secrete.
References
- Will, Kip; Gross, Joyce; Rubinoff, Daniel; Powell, Jerry A. (2020). Field Guide to California Insects. Oakland, California: University of California Press. p. 406. ISBN 9780520288744.
- "Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon (Westwood, [1851]) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org.
- "Icaricia acmon". explorer.natureserve.org.
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