Bug FAQCherry Gall Azure
Celastrina serotina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
The Cherry Gall Azure butterfly lives across North America up to the treeline. It flies from mid-May to mid-June in eastern Ontario, between the spring and summer azures. Its larvae feed on galls made by eriophyid mites and may also eat the mites themselves, making it one of the few carnivorous butterflies.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Common around woodland roads in upland mixed deciduous hardwood forests that border wetlands.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on galls produced by eriophyid mites and also on the mites themselves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from mid-May to mid-June in eastern Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the whole of North America up to the treeline.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Can be confused with the spring azure (C. ladon), summer azure (C. neglecta), holly azure (C. idella), and Lucia azure (C. lucia).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see the Cherry Gall Azure?
Adults fly from mid-May to mid-June in eastern Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this butterfly found?
It occurs across North America up to the treeline, especially near woodland roads in mixed deciduous hardwood forests near wetlands.
Source: Wikipedia
What other butterflies look similar?
It resembles the spring azure, summer azure, holly azure, and Lucia azure.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celastrina_serotina
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.