Celastrina neglecta

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Lycaenidae

'The Lycaenidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Worldwide in distribution, this family has approximately 4,700 species that are unevenly distributed. Coppers are especially dominant in north temperate regions , blues are richest in the Old World tropics and north temperate zones, and hairstreaks are particularly abundant in New World tropics. The adults are typically small to tiny and often brilliantly colored--iridescent blues, bright reds, and oranges. Adults of both sexes have three pairs of walking legs , though most males have fused segments in their front legs. Most adults visit flowers for nectar, but some harvesters feed on wooly aphid honeydew and some hairstreaks feed on aphid honeydew or bird droppings. Females lay single, sea urchin shaped eggs on host leaves or flower buds; the resulting caterpillars are typically slug-shaped. In many species, caterpillars depend on ants for protection, so caterpillars produce sugary secretions that are collected by the ants. Most species overwinter in either the egg or pupal stage.

'[1]

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Blues are tiny to small butterflies of the Family Lycaenidae. Distributed worldwide, they are most diverse in Southeast Asia, tropical Africa, and northern temperate regions . Most of the nearly 50 North American species are found in the west. Adult males are predominantly blue above, due to reflected light rather than pigmentation . Some males and most females are largely brown above. Below, wings of both sexes are usually gray-white with black spots or streaks. Adults in some genera (Euphilotes, Lycaeides, Plebulina, and Icaricia) have more or less prominent orange submarginal bands on their hindwings . Most adults are found near their host plants , and they do not fly long distances , though some tropical and subtropical species undertake long migrations. Adults visit flowers for nectar. Males frequent moist sand and mud , and females lay eggs singly on host plant leaves or flowers. As caterpillars, they secrete sugary secretions that attract ants , and caterpillars of some species are raised in ant nests. Blues usually overwinter in the pupal stage.[2]

Physical Description

Habitat

Various habitats including stream valleys, powerline right-of-ways, gardens.

This species is very widespread, and it is found in wooded areas and in wood margins . It often occurs in more open areas than the other azure species. (ref. 104645)

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,968 meters (0 to 6,457 feet).[3]

Biology

Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Racemose dogwood, New Jersey Tea, and other plants . Adult food: Flower nectar.

The Summer Azure has a very wide array of food plants, both woody species and herbs. As with other azures, the species has a wide array of nectar plants. They also gather moisture and minerals at mud puddles and wet soil. (ref. 104645)

Reproduction

Caterpillars eat flowers. Chrysalids overwinter until flower late spring or summer.

Behavior

Flight: One flight from June to October.

Flight period: Three to possibly four broods. Recent evidence (Pavulaan, pers. comm. ) has shown there to be an early spring brood, of unknown flight spread and abundance , in NC. This might be from February to April. However, the main broods occur after the single brood of Spring Azure and American Holly Azure have finished. The main flights in the Coastal Plain occur between late April and mid-September, and in the Piedmont between early May and late September. In the mountains, the flights occur from early or mid-May to late September. Two broods occur within these flight dates. (ref. 104645)

Taxonomy

Similar Species

Members of the genus Celastrina

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 19 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. argiolus (Holly Blue) · C. argiolus argiolus (Lorquins Blue) · C. argiolus psuedargiolus (Jenny Lind) · C. echo (Echo Azure) · C. gozora (Mexican Azure) · C. humulus (Hops Azure) · C. idella (American Holly Azure) · C. ladon (Dogwood Azure) · C. ladon cinerea (Spring Azure) · C. ladon cinerea f. Arizonensis (Spring Azure) · C. ladon echo (Echo Blue) · C. ladon marginata (Marginata Spring Azure) · C. ladon neglecta (Summer Azure) · C. lucia (Eastern Spring Azure) · C. neglecta (Summer Azure) · C. neglecta-major (Appalachian Azure) · C. neglectamajor (Appalachian Azure) · C. nigra (Dusky Azure) · C. serotina (Cherry Gall Azure)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Butterflies and Moths of North America.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:

• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Canadian National Collection
• of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Gerald Hilchie Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Jeff Ogden Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Lyman Entomological Museum
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, McMaster University Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, New Brunswick Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Northern Forestry Centre Arthropod Collection, Edmonton
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Subenacadie, NS, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, Halifax, NS, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Point Pelee National Park Collection, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Ross A. Layberry Observations
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal Ontario Museum: Entomology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal Saskatchewan Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Guelph, Department of Environmental Biology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Western Ontario Collection

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 6461079
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13776969
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEPG0050
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 172460

Footnotes

1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=16&sci=Lycaenidae&com=Gossamer-wing Butterflies [back]
2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Plebulina&search=Search [back]
3. Mean = 188.270 meters (617.684 feet), Standard Deviation = 131.480 based on 1,644 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.