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Appalachian Azure (Celastrina neglecta-major [Tutt])
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.9 cm).
Identification: Upperside of male all blue. Female without much white scaling on hindwing. Underside of hindwing mostly chalky white with submarginal row reduced to 1 or 3 distinct black spots.
Life history: Caterpillars eat flowers.
Flight: One flight from May-June in the Appalachians.
Caterpillar hosts: Bugbane (Cimicifuga racemosa).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Rich, deciduous woods, especially near streams.
Range: Central and southern Appalachians from southern Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia. Isolated populations in southwest Missouri, eastern Tennessee, central Kentucky, and southern Ohio.
Conservation: Habitat may be threatened by the spread of garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis).
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: Survey habitats and protect them from alteration and exotic plants.
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.
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.
Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format.
Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
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