Cassius Blue
Leptotes cassius (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of males pale blue; females with white patches. Underside tan with broken pale lines; forewing inner margin has "blank" areas with no spots.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 3/8 inches (2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid singly on flower buds of the host plant; caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods. Predation and parasitism may be discouraged by ants, which tend the caterpillars and feed on their sugary secretions.
Flight: All through the year in southern Florida and South Texas. Number of broods has not been determined.
Caterpillar Hosts: Ornamental leadwort (Plumbago capensis), rattlebox (Crotalaria incana), hairy milk pea (Galactia volubilis), and lima bean (Phaseolus limensis). Larva has been reared on the crenulate lead plant, Amorpha crenulata.
Adult Food: Nectar from shepherd's needle, lippia, and many other flowers.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn scrub, forest edges, weedy fields, residential areas.
Range: Florida and the Keys; Texas south through the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America to South America. Strays to New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: Suzanne Koptur (kopturs@fiu.edu) e-mailed to say that her graduate student Lauren Linares reared a caterpillar on the crenulate lead plant. The adult was determined by Dr. William Kern Jr. of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 400 verified sightings
Observation date: Feb 25, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 27, 2020
Observation date: Jan 10, 2020
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 28, 2020
Observation date: Dec 25, 2019
Submitted by: magnolyah
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 30, 2019
Observation date: Dec 23, 2019
Submitted by: dbrudin
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 29, 2019
Observation date: Nov 18, 2019
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 19, 2019
Observation date: Oct 24, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 30, 2019
Observation date: Oct 26, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 27, 2019
Observation date: Oct 22, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 23, 2019
Observation date: Oct 19, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 20, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 20, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 16, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 16, 2019
Observation date: Oct 12, 2019
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Duval County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 16, 2019
Observation date: Oct 12, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 14, 2019
Observation date: Oct 10, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2019
Observation date: Oct 10, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2019
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: atlnature
Region: DeKalb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Oct 04, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 04, 2019
Observation date: Oct 04, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 04, 2019
Observation date: Sep 29, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 30, 2019
Observation date: Sep 28, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 28, 2019
Observation date: Sep 26, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 26, 2019
Observation date: Sep 06, 2019
Submitted by: Kimberly Mrozinski
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 09, 2019
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