Eastern tailed-blue
Cupido comyntas (Godart, 1824) P-no. 77a0638, fam. Lycaenidae
Host plant: Found on wild indigo (Baptisia sp.)
Dates found: 20 June, 2026
Locations found: Victoria Glade Conservation Area, Jefferson County, MO
Notes: A tiny, beautiful, and common butterfly that is often seen in suburban backyards, the eastern tailed-blue (ETB for short) is not a caterpillar that I have had luck in finding. Finally, on an outing with the WGNSS’ Nature Photography Group in June, I found one of these on a wild indigo plant within the glade. I never expected a lycaenid caterpillar to be such a challenging photo subject. This guy was healthy and mobile, rarely settling down to get the desired photo.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 