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Ceraunus Blue

Hemiargus ceraunus

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27.9095, -82.7873

Field Notes

Description:

male violet blue with white fringes and small black spot along outer hindwing margin. Female brown with blue scaling limited to wing bases and small black spot along outer hindwing margin. Ventral hindwing gray with darker bands, two black spots along leading margin, a narrow (often faint) white postmedian band, and a single orange-rimmed black eyespot along outer margin.

Habitat:

Habitat: old fields, disturbed sites, roadsides
: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Notes:

Sexes: appear different
Wingspan: 18-25 mm
Life Cycle: Egg: blue-green, flattened, laid singly on host flower buds Mature larva: variable; green to red with pink markings Chrysalis: green
Number of Generations: 3 or more per

Reference Links:

Complete Butterfly Information

Species ID Suggestions

Karner Blue Butterfly

Lycaeides melissa samuelis

Reference Link
alin
1

Ceraunus Blue

Hemiargus ceraunus

Reference Link
LivanEscudero
0

Comments (12)
LivanEscudero
I'm fairly sure this is Ceraunus and not Karner. Note the single eye spot in pic 3 as opposed to the entire row of scales on the Karner. Besides according to bugguide.com current populations of Karen are restricted to "narrow band across northeastern states."
Pino
Pretty and clever camouflage
MichelleMccracken
yes it does Alin, so I think I should change the name on it, still looking to see for sure what it is, but I think you are correct, Thanks
alin
Check out this spotting. The butterflies look very similar. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/6218488 It might be this butterfly instead of the Karner Blue.
reallylauren
Wow, I LOVE butterflies, and this is one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen.
MichelleMccracken
I didnt think it was until I went to images, there are a few different looking one's it seems, I guess I am lucky I was reading it too, it does seem to be endangered, Thanks, It helps that we go off the beaten path often,we get to see a lot more that way
alin
I hope the suggestion helps.
alin
If it is a Karner Blue, you are lucky to have found one! They seem to be endangered. Nice shot!

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Mission
Butterflies & Moths of the World
Photographed
PublishedFebruary 5, 2012

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