Icaricia icarioides missionensis
Scientific NameIcaricia icarioides missionensis
HabitatCoastal grasslands and chaparral, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, where its host plants (various Lupinus species) are present, particularly on serpentine soils.
Conservation StatusEndangered (USFWS)
Description
The Mission Blue is a small, federally endangered butterfly endemic to specific serpentine grasslands in the San Francisco Bay Area. Males exhibit iridescent blue dorsal wings, while females are typically brown with some blue scaling near the body. The ventral side of both sexes is grayish-white with black spots. Its survival is closely tied to the presence of its larval host plants, several species of lupine.
