Description: Wings delicate, 28 - 34 mm (1.10 - 1.34 in.) wingspan. Males light blue in color with lilac reflections, females from dark blue to brown. Host plants predominantly lupines (Lupinus sp.), including the principal larval host, silver lupine (Lupinus argentus). Flight season from May to September, with peak activity late June to early July.
Diet: Nectar host plants include sulphur flower buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), Douglas pincushion (Chaenactis douglasii), cinquefoil (Potentilla sp.), and silver lupine. Larvae also feed on silver lupine. Species dependent on wet sites and standing mud to obtain moisture, minerals, and nutrients before the desired host plants are in bloom.
Habitat: Open stands and meadows, in bristlecone pine woodlands and mixed conifer forest habitats. Also in pinyon-juniper and sagebrush communities, and wet areas near springs. Elevations: 1,800 - 3,000 m
(5,900 - 9,850 ft)
Range: Endemic to the Spring Mountains, Clark County, Nevada. The largest concentration of this species is located in the central portion of the range, particularly in Kyle Canyon. Predicted distribution is nearly everywhere in the Spring Mountains where lupines grow.