Arctic Blue
Agriades glandon
Description
3/4-1" (19-25 mm). Above, male lustrous grayish-blue, sometimes slightly greenish, with dark FW margin and often HW marginal dot row; female, dark to reddish-brown, sometimes with pale blue and white markings. Both sexes have small dark bar, often surrounded by a few white scales, at end of FW cell, and often on HW also. Below, both sexes have many whitish spots, sometimes with pupils, on dark grayish-brown field with much white scaling;
white spots may dominate HW, or appear 2-toned with inner half white-spotted on dark field and outer half with fine dark marks (sometimes lacking) on white field. Lacks any prominent orange. HW fringes usually checkered.
Similar Species
Greenish Blue deeper blue above, pale below with
black spots (instead of reverse). Common Blue larger, bluer above, paler below with spots less dominant.
Life Cycle
Early stages poorly known. Egg laying has been observed on shooting star (Dodecatheon) and rock-jasmine (Androsace) in alpine area and diapensia (Diapensia lapponica) in arctic area. Blueberry (Vaccinium) also a suspected host plant.
Flight
1 brood; June-July or August.
Habitat
Arctic, tundra, subarctic and subalpine forests, high elevation slopes, ridges, and mountain meadows; sometimes wet prairies.
Range
E. Alaska to Ellesmere Island and Labrador, south to central Sierra Nevada of California, high mountains of central Arizona and New Mexico, and Black Hills of South Dakota.
Discussion
There is great variation in the amount of blue on males, red-brown on females, and of overall spotting.
Source
