Marine Blue
Leptotes marina (Reakirt, 1868)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside blue; male with purple tinge, female with no white. Underside of forewing with unbroken pale brown bands from costa to inner margin.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol to find females. Eggs are laid singly on flower buds of the host plant; caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods.
Flight: April-September in the north, all through the year in South Texas and southern California.
Caterpillar Hosts: Leadwort (Plumbago) and many legumes including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), milkvetch (Astragalus), and mesquite (Prosopis).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical and southwestern open areas including mesquite scrub, city gardens, desert, alfalfa fields, and waste areas.
Range: Southern California east through the Southwest, Mexico and Baja California to Guatemala. Wanders and temporarily colonizes north to Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, and Louisiana.
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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1159 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 27, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 27, 2023
Observation date: Nov 15, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 17, 2023
Observation date: Nov 05, 2023
Submitted by: Jenl
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 09, 2023
Observation date: Oct 28, 2023
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 30, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 30, 2023
Observation date: Oct 21, 2023
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Oct 21, 2023
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Oct 05, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 30, 2023
Submitted by: bapeck8
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 05, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: PaulaLyons
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 29, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2023
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 21, 2023
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 24, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2023
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2023
Submitted by: Jbartkus
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 12, 2023
Observation date: Jun 24, 2023
Submitted by: Lunamothdog
Region: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 11, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 49
- next ›