This small and vibrant lepidopteran of the family Lycaenidae stands out due to its striking wing coloration and pronounced sexual dimorphism. Description: On the dorsal surface, males display an intense, iridescent metallic blue or violet hue bordered by thin dark margins, while females are more subdued, featuring brownish tones with restricted blue scaling near the wing bases. The ventral side of both sexes is a brilliant, uniform emerald green or olive green, providing exceptional camouflage when resting. The hindwings feature a subtle postmedian white or dark line and delicate filamentous tails near the anal angle, which act as decoy antennae to confuse predators. The average wingspan of this species ranges between 22 and 28 millimeters.

Geographical distribution: This species is widely distributed across the Neotropics. Its range extends from Mexico through Central America, continuing southward into South American countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru, and reaching as far south as Brazil (particularly within the Atlantic Forest biome), Paraguay, and northern Argentina.

Habitat: It primarily colonizes humid and semi-deciduous tropical forests, woodland edges, riparian galleries, and secondary growth areas. It occurs from sea level up to elevations exceeding 1500 meters. It is frequently observed in sunny forest clearings, trail margins, and even semi-urban gardens rich in native vegetation.

Feeding: Adults are active nectar-feeders, visiting a wide variety of flowering plants, with a marked preference for those in the Asteraceae and Verbenaceae families. Males also engage in mud-puddling behavior, congregating on damp sand or riverbanks to extract essential mineral salts needed for mating. The larval stages are herbivorous, feeding on the tender leaves, flower buds, and young shoots of host plants, including species of the genus Trema (Ulmaceae) and members of the Fabaceae family.

Behavior: It exhibits a rapid, erratic, and highly agile flight pattern, typically staying at low to understory heights. Males are highly territorial and engage in perching behavior during the warmest hours of the day. They select sun-exposed leaves to monitor their surroundings, aggressively chasing away rival males and pursuing potential mates. When at rest, they close their wings completely to display only the cryptic green underside, rendering them virtually invisible against the surrounding foliage.

Reproduction: The lifecycle begins when the female deposits single, disc-shaped, whitish eggs directly onto the young flower buds or fresh leaves of the host plant. The larvae are onisciform (woodlouse-shaped), velvety green, and blend seamlessly with their food plants. These caterpillars often maintain facultative mutualistic associations with ants, which protect them from parasitic wasps and predators in exchange for sweet secretions exuded from specialized dorsal nectar organs. Pupation takes place in a short-term chrysalis, usually attached to low twigs or tucked within the forest floor litter.

Conservation status: The species has not been evaluated globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Nevertheless, local assessments indicate that its populations are relatively stable throughout its range, though local declines can occur due to severe habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and the use of agricultural pesticides that eliminate host plants.