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Echo Azure

Scientific Name:

Celastrina echo

Type:

Invertebrate

Habitat:

Chaparral, forests, mountain streams, and suburban neighborhoods

Range:

Western North America from Baja California to southern British Columbia

Status:

Generally secure across their range

This species is

NATIVE

to the Truckee Meadows.

Identification:

Echo azures are butterflies that, as their name suggests, are a chalky blue-gray in color. They are fairly small butterflies with wingspans usually between 2 to 3 inches wide. Besides the chalky blue-gray color of their wings, echo azures can also be recognized by their triangular brown spots.

Fast Facts:

  • Echo azure eggs are laid on the buds of plants which larvae, after emerging, will feed on.

  • Echo azure larvae are often tended to by ants, sometimes pupating in ant nests.

  • Adult echo azures will go through several generations between early spring and fall, after which  flight is possible. In higher elevations, the  period until flight is shorter.

  • Important host plants for echo azure caterpillars include wild lilacs, California buckeye, and blackberries. Adult echo azures will feed on the nectar of both caterpillar host plants as well as a variety of others.

Sources:

Contributor(s):

Jill Katz (research, content, & photo)

Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)

Last Updated:

May 11, 2021 at 11:02:38 PM

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