 Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant. |
Echo Blue Celastrina argiolus echo Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae Back to Butterflies of Orange County, California
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 Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant. |
 Holy Jim Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Cleveland National Forest, Orange County, CA. 4-28-12. © Peter J. Bryant. |
 Hot Springs Cyn, lower 4 mi., 4-25-13. © Ron Vanderhoff. |
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 Trabuco Canyon, Orange County, CA. © Peter J. Bryant. |
 San Mateo Creek, Riverside County, CA. 5-4-12. © Robert Gorman. |
Characteristics: Fresh specimens silver-blue on the dorsal wing surface. Ventral wing surfaces gray-white in color, with faint darker markings. Male--entirely blue on dorsal wing; Female--dark suffusion along wing margins of dorsal wing. Forewing length: 13-16 mm. Distribution: The Echo Blue is relatively common throughout the Santa Ana Mountains (western slopes). The species probably also occurs in the coastal foothills (e.g. San Joaquin Hills) since a larval foodplant (Ceanothus sp.) occurs there. Flight Period: One or two broods, flying from February to late June or July. The amount of moisture and relative condition of larval foodplants determine the number of broods (Emmel and Emmel, 1973). Larval Foodplants: California lilac (Ceanothus spp.), Spiraea spp. (better known as Holodiscus) and several legumes. (Comstock, 1927). From Orsak, L. J. (1977). The Butterflies of Orange County, California. Center for Pathobiology Miscellaneous Publication #3. University of California Press, New York. 349pp. Return to Butterflies and their larval foodplants |
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