Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue
Euphilotes ancilla (Barnes & McDunnough, 1918)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male is deep blue with wide black borders; hindwing orange band usually absent. Female brown with variably expressed marginal orange patch on the hindwing. Underside of both sexes is light blue-gray with black spots. Underside of forewing often suffused with smoky gray.
Wing Span: 5/8 - 1 inch (1.6 - 2.5 cm).
Life History: Dotted Blues usually stay near their host plants. Males patrol around the host plants all day to find females. Eggs are laid singly on flowers or buds; caterpillars eat flowers and fruits and are tended by ants. Chrysalids hibernate in leaf litter.
Flight: One flight; late April to early August depending on location and elevation.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various Eriogonum species, especially Sulphur-flower.
Adult Food: Flower nectar, especially from Eriogonum.
Habitat: Sun-exposed rocky slopes and flats with host plant colonies.
Range: Washington south to California and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan south through rockies and high plains to Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and northwestern New Mexico.
Conservation: Not required for the species, but rare subspecies in Nevada require survey and assessment of threats from alien weeds.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Subspecies shieldsi Austin and purpura Austin of Nevada are of high conservation concern because of their local nature and possible threat from invasive alien weeds such as cheatgrass.
Management Needs: Conserve habitats for rare subspecies and maintain host plant populations.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 252 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 26, 1959
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 25, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 05, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 19, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 20, 1977
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 14, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 20, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 06, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 16, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. F. Lesser)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 02, 1936
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 23, 2012
Submitted by: Glenn Marangelo
Region: Granite County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jul 25, 2012
Observation date: Jul 16, 2009
Submitted by: sararobinson
Region: Yellowstone National Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Mar 08, 2012
Observation date: Aug 21, 2011
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 17, 2011
Observation date: Jun 22, 2010
Submitted by: RaisingButterfl...
Region: Davis County, Utah, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Nov 28, 2011
Observation date: Jul 12, 2008
Submitted by: RaisingButterfl...
Region: Davis County, Utah, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Nov 28, 2011
Observation date: Jul 04, 1997
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 05, 1970
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. Callaghan)
Region: Humboldt County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 19, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Paul Opler and EviBuckner-Opler )
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Paul Opler and EviBuckner-Opler )
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jul 20, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Paul Opler and EviBuckner-Opler )
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Paul Opler and EviBuckner-Opler )
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: May 22, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jan Chu and Christian Nunes)
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Jul 01, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, G. Pratt)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
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