The Butterflies of the World Foundation

A Non-Profit Organization

Celastrina ladon, Strawberry Lake Recreation Area, Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota, 15 May 2003                                                                   Ref #:  I-153-20.1

Celastrina ladon, Strawberry Lake Recreation Area, Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota, 15 May 2003                                                                     Ref #:  I-153-16

Spring Azure

Celastrina ladon, Cramer, 1780

Subfamily Polyommatinae

Taxonomy

The family Lycaenidae is a large and varied worldwide group that has 4,000 to 6,000 species depending on the ever-changing taxonomic flux.  They are collectively called Gossamer Butterflies or Gossamer Wings.  The family is further divided into eight subfamilies.  The first is the Theclinae which includes the Hairstreaks, Sunstreaks, Elfins and others.  The second is the Polyommatinae which includes the Blues, Azures, Arguses, Caeruleans and others.  The third subfamily is the Lycaeninae which includes the Coppers, Sapphires, Silverlines and others.  The forth is the Poritiinae which includes the gems.  The fifth is the Miletinae which includes the Brownies, Harvesters, Darkies, Apeflies and others.  The sixth is the Curetinae which includes the Sunbeams.  The seventh family is the Lipteninae which includes about 500 tropical rainforest gossamer wings.  The eighth and final subfamily is the Liphyrinae and includes the Moth Butterflies.

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Celastrina ladon, female ovipositing on Roughleaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 7 May 2006

                                                                                               Ref #:  I-346-20

General Information:

Celastrina ladon belongs to the subfamily Polyommatinae.  This butterfly’s range is from Alaska and Canada south of the tundra through most of the United States except the Texas coast, southern plains, and peninsular Florida then south in the mountains to Columbia.  It is found in openings and edges of deciduous woods, old fields, wooded freshwater marshes and swamps.

Lifecycle:

The larval food sources includes flowers of a variety of woody shrubs and occasionally herbs including dogwood (Cornus florida), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americana) and meadowsweet (Spiraea salicifolia).  Males patrol and perch all day but are most active from midafternoon until dusk. Eggs are laid on flower buds. Caterpillars feed on flowers and fruits and are tended by ants. Chrysalids hibernate.

Roughleaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii, a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                Ref #:  N-18-2.3

Roughleaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii, a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                  Ref #:  F63-4.3

Roughleaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii, a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                 Ref #:  F-63-7.3

Roughleaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii, a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                   Ref #:  F-63-8

Roughleaf Dogwood, Cornus drummondii, a common larval food source, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                              Ref #:  N-17-19.3