Echinargus isola

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Lycaenidae
Subfamilia: Polyommatinae
Tribus: Polyommatini
Genus: Echinargus
Species: Echinargus isola
Subspecies: E. i. alce – E. i. isola
Name

Echinargus isola (Reakirt, 1867)

Type locality: Mexico, Veracruz.
Synonyms

Lycaena isola Reakirt, 1867
Lycaena nyagora Boisduval, 1870: 17. Lectotype ♂ BMNH, Mexico, designated by Bálint, 1999: 8.
Lycaena alce Edwards, 1871. (USA, CO). Synonymy in Lamas, 2004: 139.
Echinargus isola (Reakirt); Bálint, 1999: 8.

References

Bálint, Z.,1999. Annotated list of type specimens of Polyommatus sensu Eliot of the Natural History Museum, London (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). PDF. Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 46: 3–82. Reference page.
Boisduval, J. B., 1870. Considerations sur les Lépidoptères envoyés du Guatemala à M. de l'Orza. 100 pp., Rennes. Web Reference page.
Reakirt, 1867, Proc. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad. 18 (4): 332
Lamas, G. 2004. (ed.) Checklist: Part 4A. Hesperioidea - Papilionoidea. In Heppner, J.B. (ed.) Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera. Vol.5A, Pt.4A. Assn. for Tropical Lepidoptera/Scientific Publishers, Gainesville. 439pp. Reference page.

Echinargus isola, or Reakirt's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is the sole representative of the monotypic genus Echinargus. It is found in Central America and the extreme southern U.S. Echinargus isola migrates regularly throughout most of the U.S. almost to the Canada–United States border, and very rarely into the southern prairies.[1]

The wingspan is 16–23 mm. Adults are on wing from June to October in the north and year round in south.[1] Its habitats include fields, gardens, open areas, and host plants.[2]

The larva feed on Fabaceae, particularly mesquites (Prosopis species).[1] Adults feed on flower nectar from spearmint, white sweet clover, and a variety of other herbs.[2]
Subspecies

Echinargus isola isola
Echinargus isola alce (Edwards, 1871) (Colorado)

References

Reakirt's Blue, Butterflies of Canada
"Echinargus isola". explorer.natureserve.org.