North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Nevada

Spalding's Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes spaldingi)
JPG -- species photo

Spalding's Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes spaldingi [Barnes & McDunnough])

Wing span: 1 - 1 1/8 inches (2.5 - 2.9 cm).

Identification: Upperside of male blue with wide dark border; female brown with orange band on both fore- and hindwings. Underside of both sexes gray with black spots and orange marginal bands on both wings.

Life history: Males patrol erratically for females.

Flight: One brood from June-July.

Caterpillar hosts: Eriogonum racemosum in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from flowers including Eriogonum jamesi.

Habitat: Rocky outcrops on elevated pinyon-juniper plateaus.

Range: Northeastern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southwest Colorado, Utah, and western Nevada.

Conservation: Many populations on public lands are not in need of specific protection.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).

Management needs: Monitor populations and habitats for invasion of exotic plants such as cheatgrass.

References:

Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford  University Press, 
    Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies.  Houghton-Mifflin Co., 
    Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:

Emmel, T.C. Editor. 1998. Systematics of western North American butterflies.
     Mariposa Press, Gainesville, Florida.

Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 
     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp. 

Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 
     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 
     Privately published, Denver, Colo.

Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 
     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.
Spalding's Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes spaldingi)
distribution map
map legend

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