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Project Noah Nature School
Lampides boeticus
Originally thought this may be a Blackburn's Blue / Koa Butterfly / Hawaiian Blue, but after a suggestion I believe it is actually a Pea Blue.
Spotted this guy on the first peak of Olomana.
Hmm... Nice additional shots! However, I am not so happy with these ones! I see now my tails but where are the black spots??? I will do a re-search for this one! Hawaii is a tricky aera for IDing. There might be other introduced species from Australia or East Asia! I will be back for this one!
Added a few more pictures (including closeups of 2 photos). After checking out your links bayucca, I agree with your suggestion that it is Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus). Good call! Mahalo!!!
Looking at the margin I see some tails and zig-zagged margin of the hindwing, so in my eyes this in probably not Udara blackburni. In addition Udara should have black/white ringled antennae. In yours I can't see the rings and I see an orange antennae tip. There are two other possible candidates, both are introduced to Hawaii at the beginning of the last century: Strymon bazochii and Lampides boeticus, which is my closest guess (Strymon bazochii would not really have tails). The black spots at the margin of the hindwing might not or no more clearly visible in your picture due to age of the hairstreak. The blue parts might be quite variable in extension due to natural variation and light angulation. But I would like a closer picture to be 100% sure. Do you have one??
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/strymon_...
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ak5t-kmn/haw...
Spotted on Nov 12, 2012
Submitted on Dec 22, 2012
+2
