Explanation of Names
Calycopis cecrops (Fabricius, 1793)
cecrop (Mythology) - a king of Attica
(1)Identification
Underside of both wings is dark grey with a red band crossing postmedian (i.e., more towards the back edge of the wing than the body). Above, some bright blue is visible in flight. Daniels
(2) says metallic blue scales above indicate the female.
Range
TX-FL-CT-KS / Bahamas (BOA and MPG data)
Habitat
Woodland openings and edges, sandy fields.
Season
mostly: Mar-Oct (All yr in FL) (MPG data)
Food
Eggs are laid on fallen leaves. They feed on detritus and on leaves of plants in the families Fagaceae, Anacardiaceae and Malvaceae. They feed on Mango (Mangifera indica), Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina), and other trees.
Life Cycle
Hibernate as chrysalids and fourth-stage caterpillars
Print References
Andrei Sourakov. 2013. Two heads are better than one: false head allows
Calycopis cecrops (Lycaenidae) to escape predation by a Jumping Spider,
Phidippus pulcherrimus (Salticidae). Journal of Natural History, 1-8.
Full Text
Butterflies through Binoculars: The East
(3)
Butterflies of Florida
(2)
