Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Lycaenidae Scientific name Lycaeides melissa | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Plebejus Rank Species | |
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Similar Lycaeides, Karner blue, Plebejus, Glaucopsyche lygdamus, Erynnis persius | ||
The Melissa blue (Plebejus melissa) is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. The Karner blue (Plebejus melissa samuelis) is a subspecies of the Melissa blue, and was described by the novelist/lepidopterist Vladimir Nabokov.
The wingspan is 22–35 mm. The butterfly flies from April to August depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Lupinus, Medicago and Lotus species.
References
Melissa blue Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA