Geographic-variation-in-mutualism

Guides

• Plebejus idas

  Idas blue, northern blue

  Plebejus idas is a small blue butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, widely distributed across the Palearctic and Nearctic realms. Males display iridescent blue upper wings, while females are brown with orange submarginal spots. The species exhibits notable geographic variation in its ecological relationships, including facultative versus obligate myrmecophily. The critically endangered subspecies P. idas lotis (lotis blue butterfly), native to coastal California, is believed extinct since 1994.

  lycaenidblue-butterflymyrmecophilyendangered-subspeciesfire-ecologyhost-plant-specializationgeographic-variation-in-mutualism