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 256 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 13, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 24, 2019
Observation date: Nov 01, 2018
Submitted by: MarcyG333
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 26, 2019
Observation date: Nov 08, 2013
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 08, 2019
Observation date: Dec 24, 2018
Submitted by: dbrudin
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 07, 2019
Observation date: Jan 01, 2019
Submitted by: dbrudin
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 07, 2019
Observation date: Dec 16, 2018
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 17, 2018
Observation date: Dec 05, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 07, 2018
Observation date: Nov 30, 2018
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 30, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 26, 2018
Observation date: Dec 05, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Nov 03, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Oct 28, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Oct 16, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 23, 2018
Observation date: Oct 15, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 23, 2018
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 23, 2018
Observation date: Sep 18, 2016
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 23, 2018
Observation date: Oct 11, 2015
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 23, 2018
Observation date: Nov 06, 2008
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 23, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 21, 2018
Observation date: Nov 06, 2016
Submitted by: marley
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 16, 2018
Observation date: Nov 10, 2018
Submitted by: AJVanh.arch
Region: Martin County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 12, 2018
Observation date: Jul 30, 2018
Submitted by: Susanne Delong
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
Observation date: Oct 07, 2018
Submitted by: EddieJo
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
Observation date: Oct 08, 2018
Submitted by: lgfortem
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
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