Blue Butterfly Types

Blue butterflies are fascinating because not everyone thinks of blue as being a common color for butterflies. However, there is an entire subfamily of butterfly species that have some blue coloring. Some species of blue butterflies are on the endangered species list, while others live in abundance in areas around the world.

  1. Eastern Tailed Blue Butterfly

    • The Eastern Tailed blue butterfly has been seen in nearly every state in the eastern half of the United States; it has also been seen in Nevada, Arizona, California, Washington and Oregon. They have a wing span of up to one and one eighth of an inch. These butterflies are known to feed on various clover plants, wild strawberries and asters.

    Fender's Blue Butterfly

    • Fender's blue butterfly was thought to be extinct until 1989 when it was discovered by a man named Paul Hammond. This particular blue butterfly has a wingspan of approximately one inch and features a silvery blue color. Fender's blue butterflies reside mostly in Oregon and feed primarily on Kincaid's Lupine, which is currently a threatened wildflower. In 2009, Fender's blue butterfly was on the verge of extinction due to major losses in habitat and their primary food source.

    Karner Blue Butterfly

    • Located in the Midwest, the Karner blue butterfly is also on the verge of extinction. With a wingspan of approximately one inch, the male butterflies are silvery blue with dark black edges. The female is a gray-brown color with orange accents and blue on the top of the wings. Similar to the Fender's blue butterfly, their endangered status is due to a loss of their primary food source and destruction of their natural habitat.

    Mission Blue Butterfly

    • The Mission blue butterfly can develop a wingspan up to one and a half inches. Male Mission butterflies are entirely blue with black trim on the top sides of the wings and white with black spots on the underside. Female butterflies are mostly brown with small touches of blue on the inner portions of the wings. They reside in California in the San Francisco Bay area.

    Pacific Dotted Blue Butterfly

    • Pacific Dotted blue butterflies reside along the Pacific coast of the United States. Both the male and female feature an off-white color on the underside of their wings. The male is a lilac blue and the female is brown. These butterflies only develop a wing span of seven-eighths of an inch in total length. The Pacific Dotted blue butterfly has adapted well and can be seen in the mountains, the desert, in foothills, rocky slopes and along the coastline.