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 661 verified sightings
Observation date: Dec 11, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 16, 2020
Observation date: Dec 15, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 16, 2020
Observation date: Dec 04, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 06, 2020
Observation date: Nov 23, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 29, 2020
Observation date: Nov 15, 2020
Submitted by: H. Wedgeworth
Region: Houston County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 22, 2020
Observation date: Sep 22, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2020
Observation date: Nov 11, 2020
Submitted by: Rmclaughlin
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2020
Observation date: Nov 14, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 15, 2020
Observation date: Nov 14, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 15, 2020
Observation date: Nov 09, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Elizabeth Anderegg)
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 10, 2020
Observation date: Nov 03, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 04, 2020
Observation date: Oct 27, 2020
Submitted by: Englishman
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 28, 2020
Observation date: Oct 20, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 23, 2020
Observation date: Oct 20, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 23, 2020
Observation date: Oct 17, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2020
Observation date: Oct 17, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2020
Observation date: Oct 11, 2020
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 17, 2020
Observation date: Oct 13, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 14, 2020
Observation date: Oct 07, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 13, 2020
Observation date: Oct 09, 2020
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 10, 2020
Observation date: Sep 28, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 04, 2020
Observation date: Oct 03, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 04, 2020
Observation date: Sep 21, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Jasper County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 25, 2020
Observation date: Sep 18, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 18, 2020
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