Bug FAQNorthern Azure
Celastrina lucia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
Also called: Eastern Spring Azure, Lucia Azure, Northern Spring Azure
The northern azure butterfly has a wingspan of about 22 to 35 mm. It lives in eastern North America, from the Maritimes through the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia. Its caterpillars feed on Vaccinium plants such as lowbush blueberry.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males and females look different.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 22 mm to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in eastern North America, from the Maritimes south through the Appalachians to West Virginia.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat Vaccinium species, including V. pallidum.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April through July.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period is April to July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range matches its habitat in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Similar species include the cherry gall azure and the holly azure.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania.
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
Are they a garden pest?
Their larvae feed on Vaccinium plants, but no information says they cause serious damage.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celastrina_lucia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.