The blue-throated sapphire was first described by Bourcier and Mulsant in 1846.
Two subspecies are now recognized:
Chlorestes eliciae eliciae, described as Trochilus Eliciae (Bourcier and Mulsant 1846).
It occurs from southern Mexico to Costa Rica.

Chlorestes eliciae earina, described as Hylocharis eliciae earinaWetmore 1967.
It occurs in Panama and Colombia.
It is similar to nominate eliciae, but "definitely darker above, being dark metallic green, with crown and back nearly uniform; coppery brown of upper tail coverts and lower rump slightly darker; this color less extensive on upper rump; tail duller metallic bronze-green" (Wetmore 1967: 233).
The blue-throated sapphire was first described by Bourcier and Mulsant in 1846. Two subspecies are now recognized:
Chlorestes eliciae eliciae, described as Trochilus Eliciae (Bourcier and Mulsant 1846). It occurs from southern Mexico to Costa Rica.
Chlorestes eliciae earina, described as Hylocharis eliciae earinaWetmore 1967. It occurs in Panama and Colombia. It is similar to nominate eliciae, but "definitely darker above, being dark metallic green, with crown and back nearly uniform; coppery brown of upper tail coverts and lower rump slightly darker; this color less extensive on upper rump; tail duller metallic bronze-green" (Wetmore 1967: 233).
Blue-throated sapphire