Eastern Pigmy Blue, Brephidium isophthalma pseudofoea (Morrison) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)1
Donald W. Hall and Jerry F. Butler2
Introduction
The eastern pigmy blue is our smallest eastern butterfly. It is found near saltwater -- particularly in salt marshes where its host plants occur.
Distribution
The eastern pigmy blue is found in coastal areas from southern South Carolina to southern central Florida on the Atlantic coast, from the tip of peninsular Florida up the Gulf coast through the Big Bend Area, and from the western panhandle of Florida to eastern Louisiana.
Description
The wingspread of the adult is 9 to 11 mm. Undersides of wings are brown with a row of submarginal black spots with white highlights and are patterned with numerous white dashes and a submedian row of white circles. Upper sides of wings are brown with black spots without highlights.
Adult eastern pigmy blue, Brephidium isophthalma pseudofoea (Morrison).
Credit: Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida
[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]
Eastern pigmy blue eggs are pale blue-green. The larvae are green with small white tubercles that closely match the pattern on the glasswort host plant. Pupae are variable but usually yellow-brown with darker brown dots.
Larva of the eastern pigmy blue, Brephidium isophthalma pseudofoea (Morrison).
Credit: Jerry F. Butler, University of Florida
[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]
Life Cycle
There are many flights all year in Florida. Males patrol near host plants and courtship occurs in late afternoon. The primary larval host plant is annual glasswort, Salicornia bigelovii Torr. (Chenopodiaceae). Perennial glasswort, Salicornia perennis Mill. and saltwort, Batis maritima L. (Bataceae) also may be used.
Annual glasswort, Salicornia bigelovii Torr. (Chenopodiaceae).
Credit: Donald W. Hall, University of Florida
[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]
Selected References
Gerberg, E.J. and R.H. Arnett. 1989. Florida Butterflies. National Science Publications, Inc. Baltimore, MD.
Opler, P.A. and G.O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies East of the Great Plains. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD.
Opler, P.A. and V. Malikul. 1998. Eastern Butterflies. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York.
Scott, J.A. 1986. The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press. Stanford, CA.
Footnotes
This document is EENY-107, one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date August 1999. Reviewed March 2011. This document is also available as a Featured Creature at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Donald W. Hall, professor and Jerry F. Butler, professor, Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
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