Philotes (butterfly)

Philotes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Philotes Scudder, 1876
Species:	P. sonorensis
Binomial name
Philotes sonorensis (C. & R. Felder, [1865])[1]
Synonyms
Lycaena sonorensis C. & R. Felder, [1865] Lycaena regia Boisduval, 1869 Philotes sonorensis ab. sonoralba Watson & Comstock, 1920 Philotes sonorensis f. comstocki Gunder, 1925

Philotes is a genus of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Philotes is a monotypic genus containing only Philotes sonorensis, the Sonoran Blue or Stonecrop Blue, found in California, Colorado and northern Mexico. The habitat consists of rocky washes, outcrops and cliffs in deserts.

The wingspan is 22–25 mm. The upperside is silvery blue with red spots at the outer margin of the forewings. The hindwing of females also have red spots. Adults are on wing from February to March in one generation per year.^[2]

The larvae feed on Dudleya species, including Dudleya cymosa, Dudleya lanceolata and Dudleya saxosa. They bore into the leaves of their host plant. Chrysalids hibernate under stones.

Subspecies

• Philotes sonorensis sonorensis
• †Philotes sonorensis extinctis Mattoni, 1991 (upper San Gabriel river wash in southern California)

References

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