Eastern Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium isophthalma [Herrich-Schäffer])
Wing span: 3/4 - 7/8 inch (2 - 2.2 cm).
Identification: Tiny. Upperside copper brown. Underside hindwing and fringes dark brown.
Life history: Males patrol low over the host plants in search of females. Flight is weak and slow.
Flight: May-August in Georgia, throughout the year in Florida. Number of broods has not been determined.
Caterpillar hosts: Annual glassworts (Salicornia species) in the goosefood family (Chenopodiaceae).
Adult food: In Florida, nectar from palmetto palm and saltwort (Batis maritima) flowers.
Habitat: Near saltwater in coastal marshes and tidal flats.
Range: South Carolina south along the Atlantic coastal plain to both coasts of Florida and the Keys, west along the Gulf Coast to Louisiana. Occasionally strays to Texas and inland.
