Bug FAQBuckwheat Blue
Euphilotes battoides · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
Also called: Square-spotted Blue
The square-spotted blue (Euphilotes battoides) is a small Lycaenid butterfly with a wingspan of about 16 to 17 mm. It lives in western North America, from California and Baja California north to southern Colorado and New Mexico, and adults fly from mid-April through August, feeding mainly on the nectar of buckwheat (Eriogonum) flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Euphilotes battoides, called the square-spotted blue or buckwheat blue, belongs to the butterfly family Lycaenidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 16 to 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on flower nectar, especially from various Eriogonum (buckwheat) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from mid-April to August, producing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period runs from mid-April through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers western North America, including California, Baja California Norte, southern Colorado and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do square-spotted blues eat?
They sip nectar from flowers, preferring the blossoms of buckwheat (Eriogonum) plants.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult square-spotted blues?
Adults are active from mid-April through August, with one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Euphilotes battoides found?
It lives in western North America, from California and Baja California north to southern Colorado and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphilotes_battoides
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.