Appearance: Above, male bright lilac-blue with submarginal orange band capped in black on hindwing (no orange band on forewing). Male beneath is silvery gray with numerous black spots and a similar orange band on hindwing only. Female is similar, but more brownish-blue and also has an orange band only on the hindwing.

Wingspan: Small; 3/4 to 1 1/8 inches.

Habitat: Prairies, rocky outcrops, mountain meadows, montane and alpine slopes; foothills, montane, alpine.

Flight Times: March through July, one to two broods.

Larval Foodplant: Several species of buckwheat (Eriogonum), including sulphur flower.

Did You Know…
One should think of “Lupine” in the name of this species in reference to its color rather than its host plant which is not Lupines, but rather Buckwheats. There is a great deal of similarity between Lupine Blue and Acmon Blue and much disagreement as to where each species is found. Some believe Lupine is found on the West coast and Acmon throughout the west, while others believe just the opposite. We choose the latter and follow (Opler, 1999) and (Angel, 2005).