Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Tiny

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Desert scrub

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

Widely regarded as one of the smallest butterflies in North America, with a wingspan of just 1.2–2 cm, this dusty-blue-and-brown species thrives in saline and alkaline habitats where its caterpillars feed on saltbush and pickleweed.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2. 2.
   caterpillar

   A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3. 3.
   chrysalis

   A chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4. 4.
   butterfly

   A winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Lycaenidae

Genus

Brephidium

Species

Brephidium exilis