Celastrina lucia, the lucia azure, northern azure, eastern spring azure or northern spring azure, is a species of butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found eastern North America, ranging from the Maritimes south through the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia.[2]
| Celastrina lucia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | |
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| Mer Bleue Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Celastrina |
| Species: | C. lucia
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| Binomial name | |
| Celastrina lucia | |
| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is between 22–35 mm. Adults are sexually dimorphic. They are on wing from April to July.[3]
The larvae feed on Vaccinium species, including V. pallidum.
Taxonomy
editUntil the early 1990s, most North American azures were thought to be a single species, Celastrina ladon. More recently, research has revealed that there are many different species of azures, including C. lucia,[4] which had been treated as a subspecies of C. ladon.
Similar species
edit- Cherry gall azure (C. serotina)
- Holly azure (C. idella)
- Spring azure (C. ladon)
- Summer azure (C. neglecta)
Gallery
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Variation in larval colour pattern of C. lucia found on Viburnum lentago (left column) and Cornus alternifolia (right column)
References
edit- ^ Celastrina lucia at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
- ^ Bug Guide
- ^ Fownes, Sherri; Schmidt, B. C. "Species Details Celastrina ladon lucia". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Celastrina ladon complex - USA National Phenology Network
Data related to Celastrina lucia at Wikispecies
Media related to Celastrina lucia at Wikimedia Commons
