Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inches wingspan

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Key ID features:  Above both sexes bright, steely blue.  Below reddish-brown. White-tipped black tails on HW, with adjacent patches of gray-blue and orange. Bold white median line containing distinct "W" near tails, and submarginal row of black spots along the entire trailing margin of HW.

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Similar species: Johnson's HS lacks prominent "W" in white median line, is brown above, and submarginal spots on HW only run half way along the trailing margin.

 

Host plant: Several species of mistletoe that grow on conifers (Arceuthobium sp.).

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Habitat: Clearings in mature coniferous forest (Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Grand fir). ​

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Range: East flank of Cascades Range, southern Cascades, Siskiyou Mtns, Ochocos, Blue Mtns.

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Season: Late April to mid-August

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Abundance: Uncommon

 

Conservation Status: Secure