Spring Azure
Celastrina ladon (Cramer, 1780)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Seasonally variable and sexually dimorphic. Upperside of males blue, females with some black at outer edge of forewing. Late spring and summer forms with white above. Underside hindwing gray-white with faded small black dots, darker gray with larger black spots, or with blotches and black margins in the center.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2 -3.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch all day but are most active from midafternoon until dusk. Eggs are laid on flower buds. Caterpillars feed on flowers and fruits and are tended by ants. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Many broods from January-October along the Gulf Coast; progressively shorter flights northward; May-August in Canada.
Caterpillar Hosts: Flowers of a variety of woody shrubs and occasionally herbs including dogwood (Cornus florida), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americana), meadowsweet (Spiraea salicifolia), and Collinsia.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from dogbane, privet, New Jersey tea, blackberry, common milkweed, and many others.
Habitat: Openings and edges of deciduous woods, old fields, wooded freshwater marshes and swamps.
Range: Alaska and Canada south of the tundra through most of the United States except the Texas coast, southern plains, and peninsular Florida; south in the mountains to Columbia.
Conservation: This species comprises a complex of 4-5 separate species, some of which may be of conservation concern.
NCGR:
Management Needs: None reported. Note: In addition to the Appalachian Azure, Atlantic Holly Azure, Dusky Azure, and Hops Azure, this "species" is in reality still a complex of additional species whose identity is under current research. At present it is not possible to separate all of the records for these species into individual species maps. We look forward to doing this in the future.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Celastrina ladon
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 313 - 336 of 6698 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 20, 2014
Submitted by: juliereid
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 10, 2014
Observation date: Jun 08, 2014
Submitted by: dncms
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2014
Observation date: Jun 28, 2014
Submitted by: buddingnaturalist
Region: Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 09, 2014
Observation date: May 21, 2012
Submitted by: julmast
Region: Elkhart County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jul 07, 2014
Observation date: May 25, 2014
Submitted by: Axarus
Region: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Jul 02, 2014
Observation date: Mar 08, 2014
Submitted by: vldeloach
Region: Cherokee County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 22, 2014
Observation date: May 23, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 09, 2014
Observation date: Jun 02, 2014
Submitted by: von40827
Region: Leslie County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 03, 2014
Observation date: Jun 02, 2014
Submitted by: Molanic
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 02, 2014
Observation date: May 28, 2014
Submitted by: John Schwartz
Region: De Kalb County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 31, 2014
Observation date: Mar 20, 2014
Submitted by: ddodd
Region: Marshall County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: vitaly charny
Verified date: May 23, 2014
Observation date: May 16, 2014
Submitted by: lmreid71
Region: Jefferson County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: vitaly charny
Verified date: May 23, 2014
Observation date: May 03, 2014
Submitted by: Kimberly Mrozinski
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 22, 2014
Observation date: Apr 20, 2014
Submitted by: fm5050
Region: Calvert County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: May 21, 2014
Observation date: May 09, 2014
Submitted by: galby
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 21, 2014
Observation date: May 16, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 19, 2014
Observation date: Apr 21, 2014
Submitted by: hmclin
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 28, 2014
Observation date: Mar 29, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 30, 2014
Observation date: Mar 18, 2014
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 20, 2014
Observation date: Apr 18, 2009
Submitted by: Chip Krilowicz
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 08, 2014
Observation date: Jun 09, 2013
Submitted by: jaybird36
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 05, 2014
Observation date: Apr 19, 2013
Submitted by: a-o
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Feb 03, 2014
Observation date: May 09, 2010
Submitted by: ddodd
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 14, 2014
Observation date: May 21, 2013
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 06, 2014
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