13 October 2016

Western pygmy Blue in Dhahran – Record by Vinu Mathew

Vinu Mathew found and photographed a Western Pygmy Blue Brephidium exile, the smallest butterfly in the USA, and one that entered Saudi Arabia more than 20 years ago in the Dharan area. The wings are copper brown, marked with dull blue on the upper-sides, and flecked with white on the underside of the hindwings. The wings are also fringed with white, and there is a row of black spots on both the outer margin and near to the base. In the USA they are on the wing between May and November. A weak flier, the western pygmy blue flies close to the ground, and is restricted by its short proboscis to collect the nectar from small flowers. I thank Vinu for sending me the details and photos and for allowing me to use them on my website. Mansur Al Fahd identified the species of butterfly and Vinu also came to the same conclusion after sending them to me.
Western Pygmy Blue

Western Pygmy Blue