Size: 1.0 - 1.25 inch wingspan

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Key ID features:  Male shiny violet-blue above with black marginal band and white fringe. Female brown above with scalloped orange marginal band, clearer and bolder on HW.  Below, light bluish gray with tiny black spots, with row of orange checks, bordered inwardly with black and a small, light patch of iridescent blue, lighter and less clear (or absent) on FW.

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Similar species: Male Acmon and Lupine Blues have orange band on HW above, and females of those species have no orange on FW above. Melissa Blue has much brighter orange borders and bolder iridescent patches on HW below. Northern Blues not found in Cascades.

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Host plant: Legumes, especially lupines and lotuses.

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Habitat: Moist, cool montane meadows and forest openings, and dry meadows among conifers, usually above 3000 ft. ​

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Range: Found in Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mtns, Klamath Mtns and Warner Mtns.

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Season: Early June to mid-October​

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Abundance: Common 

 

Conservation Status: Secure