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Species Celastrina ladon - Spring Azure - Hodges#4363

Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon Celastrina ladon - male - female Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon Small Blue Butterfly - Celastrina ladon Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon Spring azure - Celastrina ladon Spring azure - Celastrina ladon
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)
Subfamily Polyommatinae (Blues)
Genus Celastrina (Azures)
Species ladon (Spring Azure - Hodges#4363)
Hodges Number
4363
Other Common Names
Southern Spring Azure
Azur printanier - En français… Ilze V-G.
Size
Wingspan: 3/4 - 1 1/4".
Range
much of central and eastern North America (Scott 1986)
Habitat
wooded areas
Season
Where it occurs, this species often flies after C. lucia, but before C. serotina. In the mid-Atlantic region, this species begins flying in April.
Food
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) and New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) among other spring-flowering trees and shrubs.
Host plants can be herbs, vines, shrubs or trees of many families.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid on the host plant flower buds singly. Larvae tended by ants. Individuals overwinter as pupae. One or two flights a year depending on location. Flights occur between Feb 1 and Nov 30 in the more southern parts of the range, and often between May 15-Aug 15 in the most northern regions (Scott 1986)
Adults live only a few days, females typically emerging and mating on the same day and laying eggs on the next, rarely surviving another day or two. Mass. Audubon
Remarks
See updates by Schmidt & Layberry 2016 (1) and Pavulaan 2014 (2).
Works Cited
1.What Azure blues occur in Canada? A re-assessment of Celastrina Tutt species (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)
Schmidt, B. Christian & Ross A. Layberry. 2016. ZooKeys 584: 135–164.
2.A case of sympatric Celastrina ladon (Cramer), Celastrina lucia (W. Kirby) and Celastrina neglecta (Edwards) (Lycaenidae: Polyom
Pavulaan, Harry. 2014. The Taxonomic Report of The International Lepidoptera Survey. 7(7): 1–10.