Melissa Blue
(Plebejus melissa)
Blues
Appearance: Male is blue above with narrow dark border. Female is gray-brown above with blue tinge marked by an outer orange band on both wings. Below, both are dusky white with scattered black spots and a prominent orange submarginal spot band on both wings; tiny blue-green iridescent spots near outer edge of hindwing.
Wingspan: Small; 7/8 to 1 3/8 inches.
Habitat: Wide variety including agricultural land, disturbed areas, prairies, sagebrush steppes, mountain meadows in pine forests, as well as summits of mountain peaks; plains, foothills, montane.
Flight Times: April to August; two to three broods. Overwinters as egg or young caterpillar.
Larval Foodplant: A variety of legumes of the pea family including lupines, and alfalfa.
Did You Know…
It was named by the famous novelist, Vladimir Nobokov. Formerly known as the “Orange-bordered Blue,” it also occurs in the northeast as a subspecies, the Karner Blue, which is endangered throughout its range.
