Acmon blue
Appearance
(Redirected from Plebejus acmon)
Acmon blue | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Lycaenidae |
Genus: | Icaricia |
Species: | I. acmon
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Binomial name | |
Icaricia acmon (Westwood, [1851])
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Synonyms | |
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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.
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
[edit]- ^ a b c 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.
External links
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