Alpine Blue vs Palo Verde Root Borer Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alpine Blue Palo Verde Root Borer Cicada
Scientific Name Albulina orbitulus Okanagana hesperia
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Lycaenidae Cicadidae
Size 24-30 mm wingspan 20-28 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Alps, Scandinavia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Alpine Blue

A small, silvery-blue butterfly found only in high alpine grasslands. Males have pale blue uppersides while females are brownish.

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Did You Know?

It is restricted to a narrow altitudinal band and rarely descends below 1800 meters.

Palo Verde Root Borer Cicada

A medium-sized dark cicada found in sagebrush steppe and desert grasslands. Males call from low shrubs during the heat of summer afternoons.

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Did You Know?

Its nymphs may spend up to five years underground feeding on root fluids before emerging as adults.