Spring Azure Butterfly
Spring Azure is a widespread butterfly throughout North America.
This butterfly is on the wing from early spring to fall, and sometimes longer in the Deep South.
This butterfly is one of the earliest butterflies to emerge from its pupa and thus heralds the beginning of spring and better weather to come.
Description:
This butterfly is generally a metallic-blue above and gray below.
It does exhibit large variations in color depending on the time of year and geographic location where it is found.
From wing tip to tip, this tiny Azure measures 3/4 of an inch to 1 and 1/4 inches.
Habitat:
This butterfly frequents woodlands, parks, open fields, roadsides and gardens.
Habits:
Female Azures often fly up into trees, such as dogwood and deposits their eggs on the flower buds.
Male Azures can be seen congregating in shallow mud-puddles and moist soil along stream, roads and ditches.
Larvae and Hosts:
Selected host plants include various shrubs and trees.
Dogwood (Cornus), viburnum (Viburnum), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus), blueberry (Vaccinium),
Larvae are greenish or pinkish, with a dark stripe on the back.
Nectar Plants:
Azure butterflies are fond of Rock cress (Aribis), buckeye (Aesculus), violet (Viola), winter cress (Barbarea, dandelion (Taraxacum) and a host of others.
Plant several low growing flowering plants in your gardens to attract this tiny beauty.
Offer mud-puddles or watering holes for all your wildlife.
Offer fresh water for all of your wildlife.
Spring Azure and Other Common Butterflies
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