A Case of Sympatric Celastrina ladon (Cramer), Celastrina lucia (W. Kirby) and Celastrina neglecta (Edwards) (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) in Northern Virginia, with Additional Records of C. lucia in Virginia

Authors

Harry Pavulaan, International Lepidoptera SurveyFollow

Date of this Version

6-16-2014

Document Type

Article

Citation

Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey (June 16, 2014) 7(7): 1-9

Also available at https://lepsurvey.carolinanature.com/ttr/ttr-7-7.pdf

Comments

Copyright 2014, International Lepidoptera Survey. Open access material

License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-SA-NC 4.0 International)

Abstract

A case of fully sympatric Celastrina ladon, C. lucia, and early spring brood C. neglecta is documented at a site in northern Virginia. Observations indicate that all three species occupy the same habitat, fly during the same flight period and utilize the same hostplant with no evidence of hybridization. C. ladon and C. lucia are obligate univoltines while C. neglecta is multivoltine. A later flight (second brood) of Celastrina neglecta at the same site utilizes eriophyid mite-induced leaf galls on the very same host tree species. Additional Virginia records of C. lucia are documented.