Blue Copper

Description:

wingspan only an inch. Upper surface of male bright blue, with darker veins; female dull blue to dark brown with numerous small dark spots. Underside of both sexes white to yellow-white; hindwing varies from having many to few black spots.

Habitat:

Brushy areas, open forest, mountain meadows, sagebrush; mostly at high elevations except for low elevations in central California.

Notes:

I was hiking Mill Creek Canyon and was about 7000ft when I came across a large number of these butterflies near the banks of a stream. There must have been at least 50 butterflies - multiple species drinking from the bank of the stream. Not sure if they were harvesting water, salt, both...it was delightful to watch