Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male blue, female brown with blue at wing base. Underside white with black spots indistinct or lacking; single small orange spot near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch during the day. Females lay eggs on flowers or young seedpods of host plant. Caterpillars eat young seeds inside the pod, where they overwinter and pupate.
Flight: March-July. Several broods in southern California, a partial second brood in the southern Rocky Mountains, and one brood elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Legumes with inflated pods including false lupine (Thermopsis), milkvetch (Astragalus), crazyweed (Oxytropis), and vetches (Vicia and Lathyrus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open - usually native - areas with low shrubs including chaparral, meadows, and open woodland.
Range: Alaska south through western North America and all western mountains to northern Baja California, east across Canada's prairie provinces to northern Michigan, Ontario, and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes amyntula
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 777 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/western_tailed_blue_zuma.jpg?itok=dt5GdE7s)
Observation date: Apr 27, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 28, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc06874_3.jpg?itok=VBZjEfZg)
Observation date: Apr 21, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 23, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0553_3.jpg?itok=iPDuK7AQ)
Observation date: Apr 07, 2024
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 09, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0500_0.jpg?itok=gQht1oxh)
Observation date: Apr 07, 2024
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 09, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6807_7.jpg?itok=EG_rZlL_)
Observation date: May 28, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 23, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/w_tailed_blue_maki_lajolla_trail.jpg?itok=vykqeOk8)
Observation date: Mar 21, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6576_7.jpg?itok=_VGdbuXr)
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5988_5.jpg?itok=8xFLmanS)
Observation date: May 14, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 31, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/western_tailed_blue_indv1.jpg?itok=BmOYXWQu)
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/western_tailed-blue_everes_amyntula-1-1.jpg?itok=Zjm5gggu)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jan 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/western_tailed-blue_everes_amyntula-4-3.jpg?itok=3oL02Jsf)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jan 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1100182.jpg?itok=XYyJl10A)
Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: La Plata County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 09, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1100323.jpg?itok=xT38dUGM)
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1205.jpeg?itok=dfuh2xBK)
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Eagle County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 15, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1060253_2.jpg?itok=jU1McmrB)
Observation date: Sep 04, 2023
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p9170291.jpg?itok=KWoD_NJu)
Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p9160266.jpg?itok=0wzFYyxY)
Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/grey_copper.jpg?itok=TDAOwfth)
Observation date: Jul 12, 2023
Submitted by: Paul C. Agidius
Region: Latah County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5173_3.jpg?itok=t7aZ-FZc)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Salt Lake County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5163_3.jpg?itok=qNT_0NoE)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Salt Lake County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2023_july_31_saddleback_lake_mono_ams_1209.jpg?itok=2JdRQPGG)
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2023_july_31_saddleback_lake_mono_ams_1189.jpg?itok=wU776-WY)
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: natureali
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0226tailedblueid.jpg?itok=n_CqC0Cy)
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: rbuist
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 06, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6595.jpeg?itok=QRh7sjR_)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2023
Submitted by: katherineylital...
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jul 26, 2023
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