Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Leptotes parrhasioides (Wallengren, 1860)

Galapagos blue butterfly

This species and the following are the only lycaenid butterflies in the Galapagos Islands. Both are similar, but the wing pattern and genitalia are distinctive. FW = 8-12.5 mm. Male: DFW and DHW violet blue with two or three black anal spots. VW ground color grayish with a pattern of white markings. VHW with three or four marginal spots, black in the middle, and filled with metallic blue. Female: similar to male but DW ground brown or blue (Roque, 2010).

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Lepidoptera

Superfamily
Papilionoidea

Family
Lycaenidae

Genus
Leptotes

Species
parrhasioides

Taxon category: Accepted

B. Landry (2012): erroneoulsy spelled "Leptodes" in Fitter et al. (2000) Wildlife of the Galapagos. Safari Field Guides. Collins. 254 pp.

Origin: Endemic

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Baltra, Eden, Espanola, Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, Pinzon, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santiago (Linsley & Usinger 1966). It is reported here from Marchena, Pinta and Babida (Roque, 2010).

References

  • Roque-Albelo, L. Landry, B. (2016) CDF Checklist of Galapagos Butterflies and Moths Charles Darwin Research Station, Puerto Ayora, Ecuador, 32 pp.
  • Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
  • Williams, F.X. (1911) Expedition of the California Acadmey of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands 1905-1906. - 3. The butterflies and hawk-moths of the Galapagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Acadmey of Sciences, Fourth Series 1: 289-322.
  • Van Duzee, E.P. (1933) The Templeton Crocker Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences, 1932. No. 12 The dinurnal Lepidoptera of the Expedition. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 21(12): 139-146.
  • Hickin, N. (1979) Animal life of the Galapagos. Ferundune Books, Faringdon, U.K., 236 pp.
  • Roque-Albelo, L. (2004) The butterflies (Papilionoidea, Hesperioidea) of the Galapagos islands, ecuador: distribution, hostplants and biology. Journal of the Lepidopterist Society

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Leptotes parrhasioides", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7238. Accessed 16 July 2025.