Eastern Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium isophthalma [Herrich-Schäffer])
Wing span: 3/4 - 7/8 inch (2 - 2.2 cm).
Identification: Tiny. Upperside copper brown. Underside hindwing and fringes dark brown.
Life history: Males patrol low over the host plants in search of females. Flight is weak and slow.
Flight: May-August in Georgia, throughout the year in Florida. Number of broods has not been determined.
Caterpillar hosts: Annual glassworts (Salicornia species) in the goosefood family (Chenopodiaceae).
Adult food: In Florida, nectar from palmetto palm and saltwort (Batis maritima) flowers.
Habitat: Near saltwater in coastal marshes and tidal flats.
Range: South Carolina south along the Atlantic coastal plain to both coasts of Florida and the Keys, west along the Gulf Coast to Louisiana. Occasionally strays to Texas and inland.
Conservation: Not usually required.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates. Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON. 280 pp. Mather, B. and Mather, K. 1958. The Butterflies of Mississippi. Tulane Studies in Zoology 6:63-109. Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.