The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Huntington’s Blue

Echinargus huntingtoni, Clench, 1965

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Echinargus huntingtoni, Maracas Bay, Trinidad, 26 May 2007              Ref #:  I-377-12.5

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General Information:

Echinargus huntingtoni belongs to the subfamily Polyommatinae.  This butterfly’s range is from the Yucatan Peninsula south through parts of Central America, northern South America and Trinidad.  It prefers grasslands, fields, desert, meadows, beaches, gardens and weedy areas.

Lifecycle:

The lifecycle of this species is not well known, but is probably similar to others in the same genus such as the Reakirt’s Blue.

Taxonomy

The family Lycaenidae is a large and varied worldwide group that has 4,000 to 6,000 species depending on the ever-changing taxonomic flux.  They are collectively called Gossamer Butterflies or Gossamer Wings.  The family is further divided into eight subfamilies.  The first is the Theclinae which includes the Hairstreaks, Sunstreaks, Elfins and others.  The second is the Polyommatinae which includes the Blues, Azures, Arguses, Caeruleans and others.  The third subfamily is the Lycaeninae which includes the Coppers, Sapphires, Silverlines and others.  The forth is the Poritiinae which includes the gems.  The fifth is the Miletinae which includes the Brownies, Harvesters, Darkies, Apeflies and others.  The sixth is the Curetinae which includes the Sunbeams.  The seventh family is the Lipteninae which includes about 500 tropical rainforest gossamer wings.  The eighth and final subfamily is the Liphyrinae and includes the Moth Butterflies.