Palos Verdes Blue vs Sand-Case Caddisfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Palos Verdes Blue Sand-Case Caddisfly
Scientific Name Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis Sericostoma personatum
Order Lepidoptera Trichoptera
Family Lycaenidae Sericostomatidae
Size 2-3 cm wingspan 10-14 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions United States Europe
Conservation Critically Endangered Least Concern

Palos Verdes Blue

A tiny blue butterfly endemic to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County. It was thought extinct in 1983 before being rediscovered in 1994.

💡

Did You Know?

It is considered one of the rarest butterflies in the world, with captive breeding programs helping sustain the population.

Sand-Case Caddisfly

A caddisfly whose larvae build smooth, curved cases entirely from fine sand grains cemented with silk. Adults are dark with hairy wings.

💡

Did You Know?

The curved sand-grain cases built by these larvae are so precisely constructed they resemble tiny miniature architectural works.