Size
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Identification
Upperside blue; male with purple tinge, female with no white. Underside of forewing with unbroken pale brown bands from costa to inner margin.
Range
Southern California east through the Southwest, Mexico and Baja California to Guatemala. Wanders and temporarily colonizes north to Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, and Louisiana.
Habitat
Subtropical and southwestern open areas including mesquite scrub, city gardens, desert, alfalfa fields, and waste areas.
Season
April-September in the north, all through the year in South Texas and southern California.
Food
Caterpillar hosts: Leadwort (Plumbago) and many legumes including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), milkvetch (Astragalus), and mesquite (Prosopis).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Life Cycle
Males patrol to find females. Eggs are laid singly on flower buds of the host plant; caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods.
