Icaricia shasta, the Shasta blue,[1] is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from the northwestern United States to southern Saskatchewan and Alberta.[2]
| Shasta blue | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Icaricia |
| Species: | I. shasta
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| Binomial name | |
| Icaricia shasta (W.H. Edwards, 1862)
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| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 20–22 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August.[2]
The larvae feed on Lupinus lyalli, Astragalus spatulatus, Astragalus calycosus, and Trifolium dasphyllum.[3]
Subspecies
editThere are seven subspecies of Icaricia shasta.[1]
- I. s. charlestonensis Austin, 1980
- I. s. calchas (Behr, 1867)
- I. s. minnehaha (Scudder, 1874)
- I. s. pallidissima (Austin in T. Emmel, 1998)
- I. s. pitkinensis Ferris, 1976
- I. s. platazul Scott, 2006
- I. s. shasta (W. H. Edwards, 1862)
References
edit- ^ a b "Plebejus shasta Standard Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ a b Shasta Blue, Butterflies of Canada
- ^ Aricia at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera