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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies (excluding skippers) (Papilionoidea) » Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters (Lycaenidae) » Blues (Polyommatinae) » Cupido » Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas)
Photo#191480
Hairstreak? - Cupido comyntas - female
Copyright © 2008 Shelly Cox

Hairstreak? - Cupido comyntas - Female
Savannah, Andrew County, Missouri, USA
June 16, 2008
Small bluish gray butterfly. Very small "tail" on hindwing, looked in field guides and I can't quite make out an accurate ID.

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Hairstreak? - Cupido comyntas - female Hairstreak? - Cupido comyntas
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Contributed by Shelly Cox on 16 June, 2008 - 10:45pm
Last updated 23 November, 2008 - 5:23am

Moved
Moved from Butterflies.
… David J. Ferguson, 23 November, 2008 - 5:23am login or register to post comments

Female Eastern Tailed Blue
This is a female Eastern Tailed Blue. Look at this photo for comparison:



I can see enough of the outside markings on the wings to help in my assessment. These are the most prolific Butterflies in my yard and I've seen literally thousands of them up close. Photographed two different ones today, in fact.
… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 17 June, 2008 - 1:52am login or register to post comments

 
I was leaning towards this sp
I was leaning towards this species, but the outer wing margins being so white I wasn't sure, the field guide I have didn't show that much white. Your pictures are a good comparison for me, I appreciate the help.
… Shelly Cox, 17 June, 2008 - 8:12am login or register to post comments

 
White Wings
I think the reason the wings look so white in this picture is that they are reflecting light off of the leaf just below and making them look that way. You can tell it's more pronounced on the hindwing than the darker forewing.
… Kenneth Dwain Harrelson, 20 June, 2008 - 1:51am login or register to post comments

Tough!
I have no books for eastern species. Looks like a female sylvan hairstreak, but that's apparently out of range. Eastern tailed blue is another possibility.

A couple tips to aid in your search: Many hairstreak photos are with wings folded, so you'll have to translate the orange spots on the underside into the ones you see in your photo. Also, look for small dots, as opposed to lines or streaks, on the underside of wings. Good hunting!
… Ron Hemberger, 17 June, 2008 - 1:03am login or register to post comments

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