Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas) is in the Gossamer-winged Butterflies family (Lycaenidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 59,572 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in August.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Eastern Tailed-Blue: observations by month (U.S.)
About Eastern Tailed-Blue
The eastern tailed-blue or eastern tailed blue (Cupido comyntas), also known as Everes comyntas, is a common butterfly of eastern North America. It is a medium-sized butterfly that is distinguished from other blues in its range by the small thin tail.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Eastern Tailed-Blue by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 6,273 | September | Apr–Sep |
| Maryland | 5,604 | September | Apr–Sep |
| Ohio | 4,391 | August | Jun–Sep |
| Illinois | 4,137 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Pennsylvania | 3,043 | August | May–Sep |
| North Carolina | 2,863 | April | Apr–Oct |
| Missouri | 2,586 | September | Apr–Sep |
| New York | 2,570 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Tennessee | 2,443 | September | Apr–Sep |
| New Jersey | 1,848 | September | Apr–Sep |
| Arkansas | 1,714 | June | Apr–Oct |
| Oklahoma | 1,674 | April | Apr–Jul |
| Massachusetts | 1,644 | July | May–Sep |
| Texas | 1,531 | April | Mar–Jun |
| Kentucky | 1,509 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Wisconsin | 1,423 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Minnesota | 1,398 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Georgia | 1,342 | May | Mar–Oct |
| Indiana | 1,211 | August | May–Sep |
| Kansas | 1,149 | June | Apr–Sep |
| New Hampshire | 955 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Alabama | 889 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Vermont | 768 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Michigan | 753 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Connecticut | 695 | August | May–Sep |
| Nebraska | 620 | August | Jun–Sep |
| Delaware | 608 | September | Apr–Sep |
| South Carolina | 598 | April | Mar–Oct |
| Iowa | 533 | August | Jul–Sep |
| California | 528 | May | May–Sep |
| West Virginia | 522 | July | May–Sep |
| Oregon | 355 | July | Apr–Aug |
| District of Columbia | 352 | September | Apr–Sep |
| Maine | 312 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Louisiana | 260 | May | Mar–Sep |
| Mississippi | 192 | May | Mar–Oct |
| Rhode Island | 101 | September | May–Sep |
| South Dakota | 83 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Washington | 29 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Florida | 27 | May | Mar–May |
| North Dakota | 24 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Colorado | 6 | July | Jun–Sep |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related butterflies (Gossamer-winged Butterflies)
Gray Hairstreak
Red-banded Hairstreak
Marine Blue
Ceraunus Blue
Summer Azure
Western Pygmy-Blue
Reakirt's Blue
Acmon Blue
Photography tips
- Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
- Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
- Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eastern Tailed-Blue?
Nationally, August has the most observations, with the main season from April to September.
Where is Eastern Tailed-Blue most often seen?
The most observations come from Virginia, Maryland, Ohio.