Size: 1.25 - 1.5 inches wingspan

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Key ID features:  Male above bright blue with black veins, black border and white fringe. Female above blueish gray with small black spots.   Female HW below white with light spots; FW below with black spots. Male similar below but with lighter or no spots on HW.

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Similar species:  Male is larger and faster-flying than similar blues.  Female somewhat similar to Ruddy Copper, which has orange zigzag above and orange wash below.

 

Host plant: Buckwheat (Eriogonum) species.

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Habitat: High sagelands, grasslands, montane and subalpine slopes and ridges, canyons and plateaus.

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Range: Cascade Mtns and eastern Oregon except Columbia River drainage in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties.

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Season: Early May to early September

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Abundance: Common

 

Conservation Status: Secure