Western Pygmy-Blue - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Stray, Accidental, or Historic

Western Pygmy-Blue Brephidium exilis

Butterfly: Wingspan: ½ - ¾ inch (1.2 - 2 cm) UPPER SURFACE (dorsal) Coppery brown with dull blue at bases of both wings. Female with less blue. Row of small spots at hindwing lower edge. UNDER SURFACE (ventral) Hindwing coppery brown with white at base; three or four small dark spots near body; row of black spots with metallic glints at outer margin. Wing fringe mostly white. Tiny.

ID Tip: A very tiny, brown-and-gray (not blue) butterfly with white fringes.

Egg: Whitish discs. Typically laid on host

Caterpillar: Yellow green; covered with small whitish tubercles and hairs or darker green with a rosy dorsal stripe and rosy edges

Chrysalis: Light green, turning dark before emergence

Butterfly ID Thumbnail — Get Identification Help

A pygmy-blue photographed at Blakely Mud Flats in 2018 by Collin Stempien was initially identified as an Eastern but was later determined to be a Western Pygmy-Blue, the state’s first known record. In 2023, Howard Horne found Western Pygmy-Blues at multiple sites in Mobile County. At least one site had an established breeding colony.

Western Pygmy-Blues are the smallest butterflies in North America. Some lepidopterists consider Western and Eastern Pygmy-Blues to be one species, but most separate them due to differences in genitalia. Western Pygmy Blues typically range from the lower half of the western U.S. into much of Mexico, but their populations often spread east and north.

Even though their flight is weak and low, both pygmy-blue species are known to have migratory tendencies. Extremely tiny, brown butterflies should be closely examined to see which pygmy-blue they might be.

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Baldwin, Mobile

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

12 - Mobile - 10/30/2023
10 - Mobile - 10/29/2023
2 - Mobile - 11/25/2023

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
																											1									1			22	2		1	2

Salt marshes (in Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana)

In the western United States, alkaline areas such as deserts, salt marshes, and disturbed areas.

Western Pygmy-Blue (*Brephidium exilis*)

County

© Sara Bright

Salt marsh with Southern Sea Blite

In the West, the list of known host plants is extensive and includes saltbush, pigweed, horse purslane, and seepweed. In Louisiana, American Glasswort is probably a host. Southern Seablite/Annual Seepweed has been documented in Louisiana and Florida.

These species have been documented in Alabama:

For more information about these plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the links above.

Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis) Photos

Click on individual photos to view a larger version that includes photo credits, county, and date.
Photos with comments are indicated by a small, tan dot on the bottom right.