Reakirt’s Blue
(Echinargus isola)
Blues
Appearance: Above, male light blue with medium dusky black border and dark spot on posterior of hindwing; female brown with blue basally. Below, forewing with postmedian row of large white-ringed black spots and hindwing outer angle shows prominent black spot above and below on male and female.
Wingspan: Small; 3/4 to 1 1/8 inches.
Habitat: Open areas, grasslands, fields, meadows, and streamsides; foothills, montane.
Flight Times: April to September; two to three broods.
Larval Foodplant: Various species of legumes.
Did You Know…
They cannot survive freezing winters in any stage and must re-invade the more northern habitats each year from farther south. (Opler, 1999). Caterpillars are tended by ants in return for sugary secretions. Reakirt’s Blue is one of the smaller blues in the Front Range area.
