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 768 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: mfernandabarraza
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Dec 30, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 31, 2022
Observation date: Dec 22, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 22, 2022
Observation date: Dec 18, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 20, 2022
Observation date: Feb 02, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: rosasviajes
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Dec 06, 2022
Observation date: Nov 30, 2022
Submitted by: Rockledge EcoRaiders
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
Observation date: Nov 28, 2022
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 01, 2022
Observation date: Nov 18, 2022
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 22, 2022
Observation date: Nov 16, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 20, 2022
Observation date: Nov 16, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 20, 2022
Observation date: Feb 20, 2017
Submitted by: Paul Tavares
Region: Sancti Spiritus, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Nov 10, 2022
Observation date: Oct 26, 2022
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Apr 03, 2017
Submitted by: John Barry
Region: The Bahamas
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Mar 07, 2020
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: St. James Parish, Jamaica
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 19, 2022
Observation date: May 06, 2018
Submitted by: Marek Bartczak
Region: Matanzas, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Apr 23, 2016
Submitted by: Freeport Pirates
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Dec 18, 2014
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 12, 2022
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Curry County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Mar 31, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 12, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Nov 17, 2020
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 08, 2022
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