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 342 verified sightings
Observation date: Jan 02, 2021
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 21, 2021
Observation date: Oct 30, 2020
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Jan 01, 2021
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Jan 01, 2021
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Dec 24, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 25, 2020
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: dlorello
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 18, 2020
Observation date: Dec 02, 2020
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Sep 21, 2020
Submitted by: Smalltowngirl
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 01, 2020
Observation date: Nov 24, 2020
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 29, 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 05, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 06, 2020
Observation date: Nov 04, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 04, 2020
Observation date: Nov 04, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 04, 2020
Observation date: Nov 03, 2020
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 04, 2020
Observation date: Sep 14, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: Nov 06, 2019
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 15, 2020
Submitted by: Wendelin
Region: Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 14, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 05, 2020
Observation date: Jul 25, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 26, 2020
Observation date: Oct 28, 2017
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 11, 2020
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: Diane R Halpin
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 20, 2020
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: eroutside
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 20, 2020
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