Table of Contents for the Spring Azure Butterfly (Celastrina ladon)
Introduction to the Spring Azure
The Spring Azure is a bluish-white to grayish-white colored butterfly that is in Gossamer Wing Family (Lycaenidae). It flies in the middle and eastern parts of North America and Mexico in old fields, forest edges, and roads. The Spring Azure feeds on viburnums (Viburnum spp.), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americana) and spiraeas (Spiraea spp.).
Taxonomy and Naming of the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
Taxonomy
The Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) was named and described by Pieter Cramer in 1780 after his death in De Uitlandsche Kapellen. The description was based on a collection from the Patuxent River in Maryland (Pelham 2008). This species is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of C. argiolus, It is a member of the family Lycaenidae and is in the subfamily Polyommatinae.
Meaning of the Scientific and Common Names
Scientific Name
The genus name, Celastrina, is apparently derived from the Latin for “heavenly.” The species name, ladon, comes from Greek mythology and was the dragon that guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Herperides (Wikipedia). This may be in reference to the larva of this species.
Common Name
The common name comes from the bluish color (Azure) and the time it flies (Spring). Another common name is echo blue.
Physical Description
- Color: Males are violet blue on the upperside and medium gray on the underside. Females are deep-violet on the upperside and medium gray on the underside (Pavulaan 2022).
- Wingspan: 1.0 to 1.25 inches. Females are larger than the males.
- Active Flying Time: Adults are active between March (in the south) to October.
Life Cycle of this Butterfly
Eggs
The eggs of the this butterfly are commonly laid on members of the host plants.
Larvae
The larva or caterpillars present the appearance of a white slug and have green marks to blend in. The larva (caterpillars) eat the flowers and fruits of the host plants, unlike others which eat the leaves.
Pupa
The pupa has a light brown color and attaches to the upper surface of leaves.
Adults
The male adults are violet blue on the upperside and medium gray on the underside. The females differ in having a deep violet upperside.
Range of the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) in the United States and Canada
This butterfly flies in the mid-west and eastern United States and the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario in Canada.
Habitat
This butterfly is found in deciduous woods with clearings, on roads, especially dirt roads (Calhoun 1986), in woodlands, and in urban areas with trees.
Host Plants
The larvae of this butterfly feed on species of viburnum (Viburnum spp.), especially the blackhaw (V. prunifolium) and the maple-leaf (V. acerifolium)(Monroe and Wright 2017), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), wild black cherry (Prunus serotina), and American holly (Ilex opaca). Flowering dogwood is the primary host (Pavulaan 2022).
Nectar Plants
Like a lot of other butterflies, this species enjoys flowers from milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). It also likes Joe-Pye weeds (Eutrochium spp.), cherries (Prunus spp.), and lilac (Syringa vulgaris). It is also often found muddling on the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the male and females of this butterfly different?
Yes. The males of the species have unique scale structure giving them a shiny sheen in sunlight (Pavulaan 2022). Males are violet-blue on the dorsal side.
What other butterflies look like Spring Azure?
Generally, any of the azure butterflies look similar. However, the Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) looks most similar to the Spring Azure, but the summer azure (males) have a metallic blue color on the dorsal side and the females are a brilliant blue (Pavulaan 2022). In contrast the males of the spring azure are violet-blue and the females are deep-violet (Pavulaan 2022). The Holly Azure (Celastrina idella) is also similar to this butterfly. However, in the males, the holly azure has androconia scales, while this species has hoary scales. The females of the holly azure are light violet blue, while this species is deep violet (Wright and Pavulaan 2003).
In some treatments, this species is considered a subspecies of the Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus). In this post, I am treating it as a separate species, which is consistent with a lot of the local identification guides. These guides include the Butterflies of Pennsylvania and the Field Guide to Butterflies of Illinois. This species does have a myriad of subspecies and forms that occur throughout North America, mainly segragated geographically.
Where can I get more information on this butterfly?
Interesting facts about this butterfly?
Most butterfly larva feed on the leaves of their host plants. This butterfly, however, feeds on the flowers and fruits of its hosts.
References
- Calhoun, John V. 1986. An Annotated List of the Butterflies and Skippers of Lawrence County, Ohio. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 39: 284-298.
- Monroe, James L. and David M. Wright. 2017. Butterflies of Pennsylvania. (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press).
- Pavulaan, Harry. 2022. Celastrina ladon and C. neglecta (Lycaenidae: Polymmatinae) are distinct species differentiated primarily by a diagnostic wing scale structure, voltinism, and host tolerance of Cornus florida. The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 10 (2): 1-9.
- Pelham, Jonathan P. 2008. A Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada with a complete bibliography of the descriptive and systematic literature. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 40: 1-658.
- Wright, David M. and Harry Pavulaan. 2003. Celastrina idella (Holly Azure) in Maryland and Delaware. The Maryland Entomologist 4(3): 1-10.
