Very small butterfly - Brephidium exile - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#275864

Copyright © 2009 Dan Fitzgibbons

Very small butterfly - Brephidium exile -

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

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

Pygmy Blue

Thanks to all for your ID help.

… mammynun, 19 May, 2009 - 10:17pm

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

That's it - Pickleweed -

S. virginica probably.

… Hartmut Wisch, 16 May, 2009 - 10:58am

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

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