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Species Details

Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameWestern Tailed Blue SeasonalityFlies in a single yearly brood from May to August, most common in mid June to early July. IdentificationThe pale, chalky undersides with tailed hindwings make this species very distinctive.
Scientific Name Cupido amyntula Common Name Western Tailed Blue Habitat Widespread in many habitat types; fond of meadows, clearings roadsides and pastures. Seasonality Flies in a single yearly brood from May to August, most common in mid June to early July. Identification The pale, chalky undersides with tailed hindwings make this species very distinctive. Life History
Unknown for Alberta. Mature larvae are variable in colour, and range from yellow to green with a dark green or reddish dorsal stripe, pink lateral stripe, and red or pink oblique bands (Layberry et al. 1998). Larvae…
Unknown for Alberta. Mature larvae are variable in colour, and range from yellow to green with a dark green or reddish dorsal stripe, pink lateral stripe, and red or pink oblique bands (Layberry et al. 1998). Larvae overwinter and are often tended by ants (Layberry et al. 1998). Guppy & Shepard (2001) provide a picture of the pupa, which is cream-coloured with a row of black dorsal and lateral spots, and a covering of fine hairs.
Conservation Not of concern. Diet Info The larvae are legume-feeders, although no hosts have been recorded for Alberta; elsewhere, they feed on pea-vine (Lathyrus sp.) (Layberry et al. 1998) and vetch (Vicia americana) (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Range
Although this species is widespread throughout western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico (Opler 1999), it is not strictly a western species as the name implies: it also occurs east to north-central Ontario,…
Although this species is widespread throughout western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico (Opler 1999), it is not strictly a western species as the name implies: it also occurs east to north-central Ontario, with an isolated population on the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec (Layberry et al. 1998).
Cupido amyntula
Cupido amyntula

Citation

Page Citation for Cupido amyntula

Page Citation

"Species Details - Cupido amyntula, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-2616/9-264633. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

References

Specimen Information

There are 33 specimens of this Species.

33 results plotted on map in 14 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

BIRD6188 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected1999-06-20

BIRD6189 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Erskine Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-06-06

BIRD6190 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-06-17

BIRD6191 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2000-06-19

BIRD6192 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Crowsnest Pass Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-06-29

BIRD6193 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Crowsnest Pass Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-06-29

BIRD6194 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Mirror Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2001-06-15

BIRD6195 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2002-06-08

BIRD6196 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2003-06-14

BIRD6197 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Arrowwood Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2004-06-26

BIRD6198 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Big Knife Provincial Park Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2004-06-22

BIRD10583 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2005-05-22

BIRD10584 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2005-05-22

BIRD10585 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2005-05-22

BIRD10586 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Winfield Collected ByBird, C. D. Date Collected2005-05-28

UASM211374 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Wagner Natural Area Collected ByRobinson, E. Date Collected2000-06-20

UASM211375 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Wagner Natural Area Collected ByRobinson, E. Date Collected2000-06-05

UASM211376 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Wagner Natural Area Collected ByRobinson, E. Date Collected2000-06-20

UASM211377 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Wagner Natural Area Collected ByRobinson, E. Date Collected2000-06-17

UASM211378 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Wagner Natural Area Collected ByRobinson, E. Date Collected2000-06-17

UASM211379 - Cupido amyntula

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Wagner Natural Area Collected ByRobinson, E. Date Collected2000-06-21

Adult Seasonal Distribution