Appalachian Azure (Celastrina neglectamajor [Tutt])
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.9 cm).
Identification: Upperside of male all blue. Female without much white scaling on hindwing. Underside of hindwing mostly chalky white with submarginal row reduced to 1 or 3 distinct black spots.
Life history: Caterpillars eat flowers.
Flight: One flight from May-June in the Appalachians.
Caterpillar hosts: Bugbane (Cimicifuga racemosa).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Rich, deciduous woods, especially near streams.
Range: Central and southern Appalachians from southern Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia. Isolated populations in southwest Missouri, eastern Tennessee, central Kentucky, and southern Ohio.
