Philotes sonorensis
| Philotes sonorensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Philotes Scudder, 1876 |
| Species: | P. sonorensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Philotes sonorensis | |
| Synonyms | |
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Philotes is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. Philotes is a monotypic genus containing only Philotes sonorensis, the Sonoran blue or stonecrop blue, found in North America in California and Baja California.[2] The habitat consists of rocky washes, outcrops and cliffs in deserts.[3]
The wingspan is 22–25 mm. The upperside is silvery blue with red spots at the outer margin of the forewings. Females also have red spots on the hindwings. Adults are on the wing in February and March, with just one generation per year.[2]
The larvae feed on Dudleya species, including D. cymosa, D. lanceolata and D. saxosa. They bore into the leaves of their host plant. Chrysalids hibernate under stones.[3]
Subspecies[]
- Philotes sonorensis sonorensis
- †Philotes sonorensis extinctis Mattoni, 1991 (upper San Gabriel river wash in southern California)
References[]
- ^ Philotes at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
- ^ a b Butterflies and Moths of North America
- ^ a b "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org.
External links[]
Media related to Philotes sonorensis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Philotes sonorensis at Wikispecies
Categories:
- Polyommatini
- Butterflies described in 1865
- Taxa named by Baron Cajetan von Felder
- Taxa named by Rudolf Felder
- Butterflies of North America
- Polyommatini stubs