Montana Field Guide

Taxonomy of western North American Celastrina is in flux, with some authorities now elevating lucia, neglecta, and echo to full species, though each was a former subspecies of C. ladon; other authorities include ladon as a synonym for C. argiolus (Scott 1986; Pratt et al. 1994; Guppy and Shepard 2001; Pyle 2002; Acorn and Sheldon 2006; Schmidt and Layberry 2016). Sections of this account probably include information for more than one taxon now considered a full species.

[From Ferris and Brown 1981; Scott 1986; Opler and Wright 1999; Glassberg 2001] Forewing 1.0-1.4 cm. Tailless, lacking orange markings; sexually dimorphic. Upper surface of male powdery blue, often with white patch on hindwing; female pale blue with extensive black along costal and marginal portion of forewing, extensive areas of white on both sets of wings. Undersurface white or pale gray with small blackish marks and a zigzag dark line in submarginal area.

One flight northward, several flights southward and in the east (Scott 1986). One flight in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, mainly July (Glassberg 2001). Two flights in southern Ontario, late May to late June and late July to late August (Schmidt and Layberry 2016).

Probably best determined from other blues by being tailless and lacking orange markings; uppersurface of males powdery blue with white patch on hindwing, females blue with some black on outer half of forewing. Undersurface for both sexes white or pale gray with small blackish marks and a zigzag dark line in submarginal area. Flight date perhaps most useful for distinguishing from other species of Celastrina.

Non-migratory.

Open woodland, edges, power-line corridors, cultivated fields, urban gardens, prairie (Opler and Wright 1999; Glassberg 2001); most abundant in moderately disturbed prairie and open habitats (Hogsden and Hutchinson 2004), favors sites treated with fire rather than grazing as a prairie-restoration management tool (Vogel et al. 2007). Habitat in Montana described in 1993 as prairie riparian for first Montana records (S. Kohler, FLMNH Lepidpterist's Society database).

Larval food plants include Actinomeris, Agastache, Aralia, Ceanothus, Cimicifuga, Collinsonia, Cornus (several species), Erythrina, Eupatorium, Humulus, Lupinus, Prunus, Rhus, Spiraea, and Viburnum (Scott 1986, 1992, 2006; Pratt et al. 1994). Adults feed on flower nectar (including Ageratina, Anemone, Anethum, Antennaria, Cephalanthus, Clematis, Cornus, Crataegus, Cryototaenia, Justicia, Melanthium, Melilotus, Pastinaca, Rhus, Ribes, Rudbeckia, Sambucus, Sium, Stellaria, Symphyotrichum, Thaspium, Toxicodendron, Trifolium, Verbena, Viburnum) and mud (Tooker et al. 2002; Senchina 2008; Scott 2014; Schmidt and Layberry 2016).

Probably similar to other Celastrina species; the following based in part on information for C. ladon of which neglecta was once considered a subspecies. Females lay eggs singly on host plant flower buds (Scott 1986, 1992, 2006). Eggs hatch in about 3-6 days. Larval development rapid, from egg to L4 instar and pupation in 12-25 days after egg-laying. Prepupal L4 instar wanders off host plant before pupating. Adults eclose (emerge) from non-diapausing pupae in 7-19 days; overwinter as pupae. Larvae do not build nests, are tended by ants (Camponotus, Formica, Tapinoma) (Scott 1979, 1986, 1992; James and Nunnallee 2011; Schmidt and Layberry 2016). Males patrol throughout the day near and around host plant shrubs and trees in valley bottoms, on slopes and ridges, in search of females (Scott 1975b, 1986, 2006).