Acmon blue

Acmon blue
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Plebejus
Species: P. acmon
Binomial name
Plebejus acmon
(Westwood, 1851)
Synonyms
  • Lycaena acmon Westwood, [1851]
  • Lycaena antaegon Boisduval, 1852
  • Rusticus acmon (Westwood, [1851])
  • Icaricia acmon (Westwood, [1851])
  • Aricia acmon (Westwood, [1851])

Plebejus acmon, the Acmon blue, is a North American butterfly. It ranges mainly in California but can be seen north to Oregon and south through Baja California. The tops of the wings are blue with dark edges in males and brown in females. Its underside is white with black spots for both sexes with a red-orange band on the hindwing. Adults feed on nectar while caterpillars can feed on buckwheats, lupines, trefoils, and milkvetches.

Like many other lycaenid butterflies, it has a mutualistic relationship with ants, who protect Acmon blue larvae in exchange for honeydew that the larvae secretions.

References

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    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.