Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male light blue with a darker narrow border; female dark brown, often with wing bases blue. Underside gray; both wings with a row of dark postmedian dashes. Florida butterflies have one submarginal eyespot on hindwing; Southwest butterflies have two.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 1/8 inches (2 - 3 cm).
Life History: Males patrol during warm hours of the day for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on flower buds or leaves of host plant; caterpillars feed on flowers and seedpods.
Flight: Throughout the year in Texas and south Florida, late summer in other parts of its range.
Caterpillar Hosts: A variety of woody legumes including partridge pea (Cassia brachiata), mesquite (Prosopis species), and rosary pea (Abrus precatorius).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open woodland, desert scrub, dunes, pastures, road edges, and vacant lots.
Range: U. S. Southwest, South Texas, Florida and the Keys south through the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America to South America. Strays to North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, and Nevada.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 599 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 15, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 15, 2019
Observation date: Oct 03, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 15, 2019
Observation date: Oct 10, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2019
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Gulf County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 09, 2019
Observation date: Oct 07, 2019
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 27, 2019
Submitted by: KlausGottschald...
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Sep 30, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 01, 2019
Observation date: Oct 01, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 01, 2019
Observation date: Sep 29, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 30, 2019
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 27, 2019
Observation date: Sep 17, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 20, 2019
Observation date: Sep 07, 2019
Submitted by: John Demko
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 09, 2019
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: Kristie Nelson
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 05, 2019
Submitted by: Kristie Nelson
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 21, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 22, 2019
Observation date: Aug 15, 2019
Submitted by: gregslak
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 16, 2019
Observation date: Nov 25, 2018
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 05, 2019
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 04, 2019
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Jasper County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: csienko
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 25, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 21, 2019
Observation date: Jun 29, 2019
Submitted by: sfbaywildlife
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 18, 2019
Observation date: Jul 12, 2019
Submitted by: Nancy Hamlett
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2019
Observation date: Jul 13, 2019
Submitted by: Nancy Hamlett
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 13, 2019
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