This butterfly has a wingspan of 3/4 – 1 inch (20-25 mm). Ventrally, the wings are pale silver with a sprinkling of dark gray marks. The dorsal side of the wings is bright blue. The female has heavy black borders on the forewing. The abdomen is gray. The spring brood differs in appearance from the summer brood in that the wing markings are darker. The mature larva is about 5/8 inch long and, like other blues, highly variable in coloration. The ground color is usually green but can also be brown, pink or cream-colored. The whitish body hair is very short except around the head and rear of the abdomen where it is longer.
This common species is the earliest blue butterfly to fly in the spring. It is usually seen flying high through the trees, but males can also be seen mineralizing at mud puddles. The spring brood of the Summer Azure flies until about mid-May. If you see an Azure after mid-May it is the summer brood of the Summer Azure,which flies until fall.
The eggs are laid in flowers and buds of many host plants including dogwoods, viburnums, black snakeroot and meadowsweets. The latest scientific evidence suggests that the Spring Azure (C. ladon) does not occur in Nebraska. Therefore, it is no longer shown on Nature Search.
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