Royal Blue

[DanauSakai]

I was asked what a Royal Blue butterfly is.  What is its genus species?  What
was it split off from?  Alternate names?

It is not listed as a species in the 1998 4JBC.  My impression is that it is in
the genus Plebejus.  The question was posed to me by someone at Joshua Tree
National Park, so I presume it is found in the deserts of southern California. 
I did not find any reference to it in a quick look at Emmel and Emmel, or
Tilden and Smith.   I do not have a copy of Emmel's book yet, so I can not
check that reference.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Walt
Walter H. Sakai
Professor of Biology		Research Associate
Santa Monica College		Entomology Section
1900 Pico Blvd			Natural History Museum of L.A.
Santa Monica, CA 90405-1628
tele:  (310)434-4702
emails:  sakai_walter at smc.edu; danausakai at aol.com
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