| Acmon blue | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Icaricia |
| Species: | I. acmon |
| Binomial name | |
| Icaricia acmon (Westwood, [1851]) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Icaricia acmon, the Acmon blue, is a North American butterfly. It ranges mainly in California and Oregon but can also be seen in southwestern Canada and in the Great Plains Region of the United States, with a total range of about 2,500,000 square km. Because of the breadth of its range, it occurs in several different habitats, such as grasslands, fields, shrub lands, forests, and deserts. [2] Amcon blue was discovered by Pierre Lorquin in 1850, while he visited California during the Gold Rush. It is believed that Amcon Blue was discovered in the San Francisco area. [3]
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Wingspan is between the range of 17-30 mm. [4] 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 and a red-orange band on the hindwing. [5] Caterpillars are yellow with white hairs and a green stripe down the back. [4] The Acmon is richly colored, more specifically the females with contrasting rows of red lunules (sometimes fused into a band). Meanwhile, the male's hindwing lunules tend to become pink and may disappear during autumn. [6]
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.
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