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.
