Where’s Wildlife · Butterfly Field Guide
Cupido comyntas
Pronounced (approx.): KYOO-pih-doh koh-MIN-tass
A tiny butterfly of sunny fields and yards, best recognized by its delicate hindwing tails.
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NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Explore these four field photographs. Select any image to open the gallery.
Eggs are laid singly on host plants. Caterpillars eat flowers, seeds, and sometimes leaves. Mature caterpillars overwinter in seedpods and pupate in spring. [1]
The fine tails resemble antennae and may direct a predator’s attack toward the hindwing instead of the head. Watch for adults flying close to the ground. [1]
Explore reported Eastern Tailed-blue sightings. Observation records show where people have documented butterflies and are not a complete range map.
[1] Missouri Department of Conservation — Eastern Tailed-blue
Identification, habitat, host plants, feeding, and overwintering biology.