Cassius Blue
Leptotes cassius (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of males pale blue; females with white patches. Underside tan with broken pale lines; forewing inner margin has "blank" areas with no spots.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 3/8 inches (2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid singly on flower buds of the host plant; caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods. Predation and parasitism may be discouraged by ants, which tend the caterpillars and feed on their sugary secretions.
Flight: All through the year in southern Florida and South Texas. Number of broods has not been determined.
Caterpillar Hosts: Ornamental leadwort (Plumbago capensis), rattlebox (Crotalaria incana), hairy milk pea (Galactia volubilis), and lima bean (Phaseolus limensis). Larva has been reared on the crenulate lead plant, Amorpha crenulata.
Adult Food: Nectar from shepherd's needle, lippia, and many other flowers.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn scrub, forest edges, weedy fields, residential areas.
Range: Florida and the Keys; Texas south through the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America to South America. Strays to New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina.
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: Suzanne Koptur (kopturs@fiu.edu) e-mailed to say that her graduate student Lauren Linares reared a caterpillar on the crenulate lead plant. The adult was determined by Dr. William Kern Jr. of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 305 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 24, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 24, 2020
Observation date: Mar 14, 2020
Submitted by: MarieKubin
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 14, 2020
Observation date: Feb 25, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 27, 2020
Observation date: Jan 10, 2020
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 28, 2020
Observation date: Dec 25, 2019
Submitted by: magnolyah
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 30, 2019
Observation date: Dec 23, 2019
Submitted by: dbrudin
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 29, 2019
Observation date: Nov 18, 2019
Submitted by: wlu
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 19, 2019
Observation date: Oct 24, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 30, 2019
Observation date: Oct 26, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 27, 2019
Observation date: Oct 22, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 23, 2019
Observation date: Oct 19, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 20, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 20, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 16, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 16, 2019
Observation date: Oct 12, 2019
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Duval County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 16, 2019
Observation date: Oct 12, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 14, 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 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: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: atlnature
Region: DeKalb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Oct 04, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 04, 2019
Observation date: Oct 04, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 04, 2019
Observation date: Sep 29, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 30, 2019
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 28, 2019
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