The wingspan is 22–26 mm. The males are a shiny, light gray-blue color above, with a black border on the apical margins breaking into a row of black dots on the hind wing. Females are russet-brown above with blue and sometimes orange highlights and often have white spots across the wings. Both
sexes have prominent dorsal forewing and dorsal hindwing cell bars and often submarginal black rings on the dorsal hindwing. Beneath, the ventral hindwing spots are fused and occluded by heavy white blotches against a dark tan background. Prominent black pupils occur in all of the white spots except one (in the hindwing cell). The klamathensis subspecies is the only representative of this species in Oregon.
Overview
- Species Common Name Gray-blue (butterfly)
- Species Scientific Name Agriades podarce klamathensis
Ecoregions
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, the interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range, and the Rogue and Umpqua river valleys. Several popular and scenic rivers run through the ecoregion, including the Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate rivers. Historically, this ecoregion is known …
West Cascades
The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.