Dusky Azure (Celastrina nigra Edwards)
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Upperside of male gray-black; female dark with areas of gray-blue. Underside of hindwing with prominent black spots in submarginal row.
Life history: Males patrol for females. Eggs are laid singly under young leaflets of host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One brood from April-May.
Caterpillar hosts: Goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus) in the rose family.
Adult food: Flower nectar, including wild geranium.
Habitat: Shady and moist deciduous woods.
Range: Southern Appalachians, Ohio River Valley, central Illinois, and northwest Arkansas.
Conservation: Habitats may be threatened by the spread of garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis) in the mustard family.
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: Protect habitats from alteration and invasion by 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. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann