Mystery Blue - Cupido comyntas

yes, abberation

Abberation are not that rare but ones like this are. The commonest abberations are changed size of spots but not like this one. Things like this normally occur when a sudden change of temprature hits it in pupal stage.

For example I have seen about 12 basic abberations and have yet to see a major one like yours.
Another abberation example is here:

http://www.insectsofalberta.com/commonwoodnymph.htm

This one has larger spots than usual and to my experiences, increased size is rarer than decreased.

Also note abberations are alot commoner in Lycaenids, I ahve only seen one in America which was here:

… Borealfalcon, 27 August, 2008 - 11:24am

Thanks...

for the further info; it's appreciated! And this 'fly continues to be one of my coolest-ever finds!

… Sherri Doust, 27 August, 2008 - 1:02pm

Wow!

Very cool bug! Unlike anything I've seen in N.A. before. My guess is that this is an aberrant Eastern Tailed-Blue. It looks fine for one except all of its ventral black spots have been elongated. It's not too unusual to find strange aberrants among butterflies. This is likely not the work of hybridization. You might want to pass this along to a LepSoc editor or something, though. They might know if similar bugs have been found before.

… Nick Block, 22 August, 2007 - 9:39pm

Aberrant

A few other individuals outside of bugguide have reached the same conclusion; thanks for your input!

… Sherri Doust, 23 August, 2007 - 5:37pm

Anomalous

Eastern Tailed Blue. Not a hybrid, as I can't think of a local that could hybridize to produce the pattern here. The color anomalies lie in the pattern of the wing divisions and remember that butterfly wing color dynamics are controlled by the famous local hox box genes working on cell arrays where each scale of the butterfly wing is produced by a single cell. It is an amazing thing to be happening out there in the world. Will make you worship at the church of embryologic genetics. This may be a known anomaly in the blues group but I don't have my Scott here with me to even see if it is mentioned. I have an amazing Gray Hairstreak shot somewhere from a friend with similar odd window-patterned color failure. Nice find. And good shot of it.

… Herschel Raney, 23 August, 2007 - 2:24pm

Thanks...

and "...worship at the church of embryologic genetics." I like that :) I appreciate your input!

… Sherri Doust, 23 August, 2007 - 5:36pm

This is very interesting...I

This is very interesting...I have queried some of my butterfly friends for ideas. A truly awesome find!

… Tom Bentley, 22 August, 2007 - 9:03pm

Thanks

...I'd really like to know what it is, i.e. a hybrid eastern-tailed, for example.

… Sherri Doust, 22 August, 2007 - 9:16pm

Eastern Tailed Blue

Looks like some kind of one-off Eastern Tailed Blue to me. But, you're right - I've never seen one quite like this, either. Nice image, though! Maybe some others will weigh in with opinions.

… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 22 August, 2007 - 6:25pm

Eastern Tailed-Blue, Seconded

There aren't that many tailed-blues to begin with! In the west, there are several blues [non-tailed] which are highly regional. Among these, one is at three small sites in the LA area, and one is only on Catalina Island. I'd guess you have a parallel situation.

Also in the west are square-spotted blues, which do have larger and cruder markings, but nothing close to yours.

Somewhere along the line, you'll probably be asked what plant your butterfly was on or what the habitat was like. Hopefully, you can furnish this info.

… Ron Hemberger, 22 August, 2007 - 9:19pm

Further info

The photo was taken in a native-plants-only garden, put in by the owner of a local native plant nursery, and the butterfly was on a brown-eyed susan.

… Sherri Doust, 22 August, 2007 - 9:23pm

Thanks

...for the compliment and your input! Whatever it may be, it was a cool find!

… Sherri Doust, 22 August, 2007 - 6:29pm