Philotes

Scudder, 1876

Species Guides

1

Philotes is a of gossamer-winged butterflies in the Lycaenidae. The genus contains a single , Philotes sonorensis, commonly known as the Sonoran blue or stonecrop blue. It is native to arid regions of western North America. The genus was established by Scudder in 1876 and belongs to the subtribe Scolitantidina within the tribe Polyommatini.

Philotes sonorensis by (c) Pinnacles National Park, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Pinnacles National Park. Used under a CC-BY license.NovaraExpZoologischeTheilLepidopteraAtlasTaf35 by Felder. Used under a Public domain license.J20160421-0064—Dudleya cymosa—RPBG (26624941195) by John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Philotes: /pʰiˈloʊtiːz/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Philotes sonorensis can be distinguished from similar blue butterflies by its association with rocky desert and its specific geographic range in California, Colorado, and northern Mexico. The shows variation in wing pattern that has been subject to taxonomic study.

Images

Habitat

Rocky washes, outcrops, and cliffs in desert environments. The single in this is tightly associated with arid, rocky terrain.

Distribution

Western North America: California, Colorado, and northern Mexico.

Human Relevance

The name derives from Greek mythology, where Philotes was a minor goddess personifying affection, friendship, and sexual intercourse. This mythological naming reflects 19th-century entomological practices of drawing from classical sources.

Similar Taxa

  • PseudophilotesSimilar name and placement in subtribe Scolitantidina; distinguished by multiple and different geographic distributions primarily in the Palearctic region.
  • GlaucopsycheAnother in subtribe Scolitantidina; contains multiple with broader geographic ranges and different associations.

More Details

Type species

The type of Philotes is Lycaena regia Boisduval, 1869, currently treated as a of Philotes sonorensis (C. & R. Felder, [1865]).

Phylogenetic placement

Molecular phylogenetic studies place Philotes within the subtribe Scolitantidina, one of approximately 17-22 in this subtribe, based on concatenated nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences.

Sources and further reading