Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies ... Lucia Azure
Lucia Azure
Celastrina lucia
These were the first Blues of this season (2009). In my research, I discovered there is much left to define exactly what specie is found where and where ranges overlap, identification is made that much more difficult.
Bugguide and Wisconsin Butterflies both describe some of the controversy surrounding this butterfly. Bugguide notes include "...this species can be highly polymorphic. In the far north it is rather small, dusky gray and varies little. However, from New England and the Maritimes south through the Appalachians to West Virginia, it is highly polymorphic in dorsal & ventral phenotypes."
Wisconsin Butterflies has additional information under the 'Spring' spring azure. Form "marginata" which has a darker, brownish margin, is common throughout central Wisconsin while form "lucia" is similar with some darker spots in the middle of the hindwing below, but is basically similar in ground coloration. This is the butterfly that has been given species status (C. lucia) by some authors.
Other common names include Eastern Spring Azure and 'Spring' Spring Azure
One method for one type of species involves counting the number of scales (or scale size measurements) in a certain area of the topwing.
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2 - 3.5 cm).
Caterpillar hosts: Flowers of a variety of woody shrubs and occasionally herbs including dogwood (Cornus florida), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americana), meadowsweet (Spiraea salicifolia), and Collinsia.
Caterpillars feed on flowers and fruits and are tended by ants.
The photo on the right is the best flight photo of these darting, quick moving butterflies that I took.
| Kingdom | Animalia | (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | (Arthropods) |
| Superclass | Hexapoda | (Hexapods) |
| Class | Insecta | (Insects) |
| Subclass | Pterygota | (Winged Insects) |
| Order | Lepidoptera | (Butterflies and Moths) |
| Superfamily | Papilionoidea | (Butterflies) |
| Family | Lycaenidae | (Gossamer winged butterflies) |
| Subfamily | Polyommatinae | (Blues) |
| Genus | Celastrina | (Azures |
| Species | ladon | (Spring Azure) |
Pictures above taken May 1, 2009
The Blues present a difficult challenge to photograph with wings open most days.
On May 8, 2009 what I observed was the butterflies tended to land and wait a bit (15 seconds or so) then they would crawl up into a more open area.
Picture on left taken May 8, 2009