Eastern tailed-blue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern tailed-blue |
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The eastern tailed-blue (Cupido comyntas) is a small, common butterfly. You can find it across eastern North America. It's special because it has tiny, thin tails on its hindwings. This helps tell it apart from other blue butterflies.
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What Does the Eastern Tailed-Blue Look Like?
Eastern tailed-blue butterflies are quite colorful!
Colors of Males and Females
Male butterflies are usually bright blue on the top of their wings. Females can be a lighter blue, brown, or even charcoal gray. Sometimes, you might even spot purple or pink butterflies, no matter if they are male or female.
Wing Patterns and Size
The underside of their wings can be bluish-white or tan. Look closely, and you'll see two or three black or orange spots. These spots are shaped like chevrons (V-shapes) near the back of their hindwings. The tiny tail comes off the spot closest to the body.
These butterflies are small. When their wings are spread out, they measure about 21 to 29 millimeters wide. That's less than an inch and a half!
What Do Eastern Tailed-Blues Eat?
Eastern tailed-blues love to eat different types of legumes. Legumes are plants like beans, peas, and clovers. The caterpillars mostly munch on the seeds and flowers of these plants. Sometimes, they eat the leaves too.
Special Relationship with Ants
These butterflies have a cool secret! Their caterpillars can make a sweet liquid. Some types of ants really like this liquid. In return for this tasty treat, the ants protect the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) from other bugs that might want to eat them. It's like a tiny bodyguard service!
Where Do Eastern Tailed-Blues Live?
The eastern tailed-blue butterfly is very common in eastern North America. You can find them as far south as Central America.
Habitat Boundaries
The Great Plains act like a natural border. They separate the eastern tailed-blue from a similar butterfly called the western tailed-blue. The western tailed-blue is much rarer.
You might also find eastern tailed-blues in parts of California, Oregon, and Washington. They probably ended up there by accident, maybe carried by people. However, you won't usually see them in the Rocky Mountains. These butterflies prefer sunny, open areas like meadows and fields.
