Smith’s Blue Butterfly and Coastal Buckwheat Original Painting

Euphilotes enoptes smithi and Eriolgonum latifolium

Acrylic on watercolor paper

17 x 14” framed; archival matboard, metallic wood frame

Smith’s blue butterfly is an endangered species native to California’s Central Coast, and is totally dependent on two species of buckwheat—the flowers provide food and shelter for the entire life cycle of the butterfly. Habitat encroachment has deeply affected this species, but work is underway to preserve the coastal dunes and scrub where they live.