Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini, Plebejus lupini)

Flies in a variety of habitats and altitudes in western North America. Separating this species from Acmon Blue is very difficult and more research is necessary and underway. There are likely unrecognized species within the currently designated Acmon/Lupine complex. See below for more information. Current field guides show incorrect range maps; Lupine Blue is the widespread taxon, while Acmon is primarily limited to California, Oregon, and Washington. Additionally, authorities disagree as to which genus these taxa should be assigned. NABA places them in the genus Plebejus. Pelham and others now place them in Icaricia.

Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
15 June 2015


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 15 June 2015	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 17 June 2015

#7532
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
17 June 2015

#7541
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
17 June 2015

#7583
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
17 June 2015

#7608
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
17 June 2015

#7608
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT
17 June 2015


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 2 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Near Condon, Missoula Co., MT 5 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 9 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 9 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Mt. Baldy, Missoula Co., MT 9 July 2014

#2238
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Lemhi Pass, MT
20 July 2014

#2313
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Lemhi Pass, MT
20 July 2014


#2372 Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Lemhi Pass, MT 20 July 2014	#2375 Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Lemhi Pass, MT 20 July 2014

#0542
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini)
Red Mountain, Lewis & Clark Co., MT
15 July 2015


#0505 Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Red Mountain, Lewis & Clark Co., MT 15 July 2015	#0474 Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Red Mountain, Lewis & Clark Co., MT 15 July 2015

#9278
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023

#9273
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023

#9129
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023

#9117
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023

#8931
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023

Left #8890
Right #8927
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023

#8870
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
23 July 2023


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Anaconda Range, Beaverhead Co., MT 7 July 2024	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Rock Creek, Park Co., WY 6 July 2024

#0278
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini)
Pioneer Mountains, Beaverhead Co., MT
7 July 2024

#0158
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Rock Creek, Park Co., WY
6 July 2024

#9179
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Fremont Co., WY
2 July 2024

#9134
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Fremont Co., WY
2 July 2024

Here is what Paul Opler had to say (in 2007) about the identification of the California images below: "They all belong to what has been called Plebejus lupini (not lupinus) in recent checklists, but none clearly belongs to that species. I am familiar with the populations at Saddlebag Lake and the east side of the Sierra. I think these are two different species, and only the ones from Eagle Canyon might be tied in with lupini at the species level. For now they are best referred to a members of the polygonoid-obligate group of the acmon complex -- quite a mouthfull, but using Plebejus lupini is not accurate and is mis-leading."

#1137
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Saddlebag Lake, Mono Co., CA
17 July 2007


#9660 Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi) Eagle Meadows west of Sonora Pass, Tuolumne Co., CA 11 July 2007

#9605
Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini lutzi)
Just west of Sonora Pass, Tuolumne Co., CA
11 July 2007

Below are Colorado Lupine Blues


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Shelf Rd., Teller Co., CO 11 July 2016	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Shelf Rd., Teller Co., CO 11 July 2016

Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini)
Royal Gorge, Fremont Co., CO
11 July 2016

'Cotundra' Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini cotundra)
Cottonwood Pass, Chaffee Co., CO
13 July 2016

NABA treats this as a high altitude subspecies of Acmon Blue (P. acmon).

Below are Utah Lupine Blues


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014

Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini)
Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT
14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Female oviposting on Eriogonum Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Egg under buckwheat leaf Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) Wasatch Mt. State Park, Wasatch Co., UT 14 July 2014

Below are Lupine Blues from Arizona

Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini texana)
Santa Cruz Co., AZ
5 Nov 2024


Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini texana) Santa Cruz Co., AZ 5 Nov 2024

From left to right:
Ancilla Blue (Euphilotes ancilla), Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini), Northern Blue (Plebejus ?idas? "atrapraetextus" annetta)
Wasatch Mountain State Park, Wasatch Co., UT
14 July 2014

	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) caterpillar Red Rock Lakes NWR, Beaverhead Co., MT 14 June 2015
	Lupine Blue (Icaricia lupini) caterpillar Red Rock Lakes NWR, Beaverhead Co., MT 14 June 2015

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Created on ... July 18, 2014 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com