Shasta blue

Updated on Dec 29, 2024

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Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Lycaenidae Scientific name Aricia shasta		Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Aricia Rank Species

Similar Aricia saepiolus, Lycaena rubidus, Aricia icarioides, Aricia lupini, Lycaena nivalis

Plebejus shasta, the Shasta blue, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found from the northwestern United States to southern Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The wingspan is 20–22 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August.

The larvae feed on Lupinus lyalli, Astragalus spatulatus, Astragalus calycosus, and Trifolium dasphyllum.

Subspecies

There are seven subspecies of Plebejus shasta.

P. s. charlestonensis Austin, 1980

P. s. calchas (Behr, 1867)

P. s. minnehaha (Scudder, 1874)

P. s. pallidissima (Austin in T. Emmel, 1998)

P. s. pitkinensis Ferris, 1976

P. s. platazul Scott, 2006

P. s. shasta (W. H. Edwards, 1862)

References

Shasta blue Wikipedia

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