Biology:Acmon blue
| Acmon blue | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Icaricia |
| Species: | I. acmon
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| Binomial name | |
| Icaricia acmon (Westwood, [1851])
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| Synonyms | |
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Icaricia acmon, the Acmon blue, is a North American butterfly. It ranges mainly in California but can be seen north to Oregon and south through Baja California.
Wingspan is 17-30 mm.[1] The tops of the wings are blue with dark edges in males and brown in females. Its underside is white with black spots for both sexes with a red-orange band on the hindwing.[2] Caterpillars are yellow with white hairs and a green stripe down the back.[1]
Adults feed on nectar while caterpillars can feed on deerweed, buckwheats, lupines, trefoils, and milkvetches.[3][1]
Like many other lycaenid butterflies, it has a mutualistic relationship with ants, who protect Acmon blue larvae in exchange for honeydew that the larvae secrete.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Will, Kip; Gross, Joyce; Rubinoff, Daniel; Powell, Jerry A. (2020). Field Guide to California Insects. Oakland, California: University of California Press. pp. 406. ISBN 9780520288744.
- ↑ "Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon (Westwood, [1851) | Butterflies and Moths of North America"]. https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Plebejus-acmon.
- ↑ "Icaricia acmon". https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.111393/Icaricia_acmon.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q4674421 entry
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