The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Reakirt’s Blue

Echinargus isola, Reakirt, (1867)

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Taxonomy

The family Lycaenidae is a large and varied worldwide group that has 4,000 to 6,000 species depending on the ever-changing taxonomic flux.  They are collectively called Gossamer Butterflies or Gossamer Wings.  The family is further divided into eight subfamilies.  The first is the Theclinae which includes the Hairstreaks, Sunstreaks, Elfins and others.  The second is the Polyommatinae which includes the Blues, Azures, Arguses, Caeruleans and others.  The third subfamily is the Lycaeninae which includes the Coppers, Sapphires, Silverlines and others.  The forth is the Poritiinae which includes the gems.  The fifth is the Miletinae which includes the Brownies, Harvesters, Darkies, Apeflies and others.  The sixth is the Curetinae which includes the Sunbeams.  The seventh family is the Lipteninae which includes about 500 tropical rainforest gossamer wings.  The eighth and final subfamily is the Liphyrinae and includes the Moth Butterflies.

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Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 7 October 2006                                                                                Ref #:  I-361-2

Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 19 September 2006                                                                           Ref #:  I-360-1.3

Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 27 September 2005                                                                        Ref #:  I-324-14.2

Echinargus isola, one half mile south of Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 15 October 2005                                                 Ref #:  I-331-18

Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 11 June 2009                                                                                    Ref #:  I-422-16

Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 3 September 2006                                                                         Ref #:  I-359-10.2

Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 19 September 2006                                                                            Ref #:  I-359-18

Echinargus isola, Forth of July Campground, Manzano Mountains, Cibola National Forest, Torrance County, New Mexico, 1 July 1998                                            Ref #:  I-22-1

Echinargus isola, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 3 September 2006                                                                           Ref #:  I-359-6.2

Echinargus isola, Pine Flat Picnic Area, Manzano Mountains, Cibola National Forest, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, 17 August 2010                                     Ref #:  I-453-3

General Information:

Echinargus isola belongs to the subfamily Polyommatinae.  This butterfly’s range is throughout most of the central and western U.S. and then south to Costa Rica.  It prefers grasslands, fields, desert, meadows, gardens and weedy areas.

Lifecycle:

The larval food sources includes many plants in the pea family (Fabaceae).  Males patrol for females with an erratic flight during daytime. Females lay eggs singly on flower buds of host during midday. Caterpillars eat flowers, seedpods and sometimes leaves.  They are tended by ants which presumably protect the caterpillars in return for their sugary secretions.