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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 396 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 26, 2023
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: Nov 09, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 15, 2023
Observation date: Jun 11, 2023
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 13, 2023
Observation date: May 29, 2023
Submitted by: roseg4art
Region: Duval County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 30, 2023
Observation date: Feb 04, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 14, 2023
Observation date: Nov 21, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: May 05, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Nov 22, 2020
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 05, 2023
Observation date: Jan 06, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 08, 2023
Observation date: Jan 06, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Dec 02, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 05, 2022
Observation date: Dec 02, 2022
Submitted by: emmalarivee
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
Observation date: Nov 26, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 26, 2022
Observation date: Nov 26, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 26, 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: May 14, 2015
Submitted by: XplorMor Intern...
Region: Matanzas, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Feb 25, 2017
Submitted by: devjohnstone
Region: Villa Clara, Cuba
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2017
Submitted by: David Redhead
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Feb 18, 2016
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Yucatan, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Feb 18, 2016
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Yucatan, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
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