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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters (Lycaenidae) » Blues (Polyommatinae) » Pygmy Blues (Brephidium) » Western Pygmy-Blue - Hodges#4353 (Brephidium exile)
Photo#275864
Very small butterfly - Brephidium exile - female
Copyright © 2009 Dan Fitzgibbons

Very small butterfly - Brephidium exile - Female
Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California, USA
May 14, 2009
Size: 1/2"
This exquisite little creature was found near the artificial, brackish, Shoreline Lake in Mountain View. I almost mistook this butterfly for one of the many syrphids that fly around that area. It was so small and agile in flight that it took a close look to see it was a butterfly. Any species and gender ID help would be most welcome.

Images of this individual: tag all
Very small butterfly - Brephidium exile - female Very small butterfly - Brephidium exile - female
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Contributed by mammynun on 16 May, 2009 - 12:52am
Last updated 23 January, 2014 - 12:35am

Definitely Pygmy Blue -
Brephidium exile, a female about to oviposit.
They're usually fond of plants in the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), their larval food.
I just observed some in the desert.
… Hartmut Wisch, 16 May, 2009 - 10:37am login or register to post comments

 
Pygmy Blue
Thanks to all for your ID help.
… mammynun, 19 May, 2009 - 10:17pm login or register to post comments

 
This one looks like
she is ovipositing on Salicornia or perhaps something very similar, a Chenopod. They also like the Sesuviaceae (often lumped into the Aizoaceae) such as Sesuvium and Trianthemum.
… David J. Ferguson, 16 May, 2009 - 10:46am login or register to post comments

 
That's it - Pickleweed -
S. virginica probably.
… Hartmut Wisch, 16 May, 2009 - 10:58am login or register to post comments

Maybe Western Pymgy-Blue?
I'm certainly not an expert, but it lookes like this one
http://bugguide.net/node/view/146397
… Audrey R Hoff, 16 May, 2009 - 1:25am login or register to post comments

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