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| Cassius Blue |
Latin
Name: Leptotes cassius |
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Genus: Leptotes Species: cassius |
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Comments: |
| The Cassius Blue is abundant throughout south Florida but occasionally disperses northward beyond the state's border. Many of these isolated records, however, may be the result of immature stages of the butterfly "piggybacking" on shipments of the popular landscape plant, Plumbago, to various commercial nurseries. |
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Life
Cycle: |
Broods: |
multiple generations |
Egg: |
greenish blue, laid singly on flower buds, flowers or immature fruit of host |
Larva: |
variable; green to green with pinkish red markings |
Host Plants: |
numerous plants including Wild Tamarind, Leadwort, Wild Plumbago, Blackbead and milk peas |
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Host
Plants: |
Host
Plants: |
numerous plants including Wild Tamarind, Leadwort, Wild Plumbago, Blackbead and milk peas |
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Habitat: |
Habitat: |
open, disturbed sites including roadsides, vacant or weedy fields, coastal dunes, forest edges and gardens |
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Wingspan: |
Inches: |
.75 - 1 |
Centimeters: |
1.9 - 2.5 |
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Appearance: |
Sexes: |
dissimilar; female has duller, more heavily patterned blue-white wings |
Compare: |
Ceraunus Blue is darker gray beneath with white-rimmed black spots near wing base. |
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| Markings: |
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Above:
- blue with thin black border and white wing fringe; female is light blue with broad gray borders; hindwing bears two dark marginal spots
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Below:
- whitish with numerous gray bands and spots; hindwing has two orange-rimmed black and metallic blue eyespots
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Abundance: |
occasional to abundunt |
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Map Legend: Resident (green) | Stray
(Red) |
