|                    Eastern Pygmy-Blue
                      |  
              
                |                    Brephidium pseudofea
                      |  
              
                |                    Lycaenidae 
                      |  
  
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Tiny butterfly with a wingspan up to 5/8 inch. The upperside of the wings is copper brown; the underside of the hindwing and the fringes are dark brown. There are four black eyespots on the margin of the hindwing. The caterpillar is very small, slug-like, and bright green with a black head, faint markings and very small hairs. The pupa is typically yellowish-brown, with dark brown spots. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Southern United States, north to South Carolina and west to Texas; Bahamas. | 
               
              
              | Distribution and Abundance in Florida: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Locally uncommon; adults and caterpillars present February-November in most of Florida and all year in South Florida. Abundance varies from season to season and year to year.  | 
               
              
               
              | Habitat(s): | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Coastal marshes and tidal flats. | 
               
              
               
              | Reproduction: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Three or more broods per year. The flat, whitish or pale bluish-green eggs are laid on the stems of host plants. | 
               
              
                | Natural History: | 
               
              
                |   | 
                 Eastern pygmy-blues are weak, slow fliers. They rarely open their wings when perched. Males fly low over host plants, searching for females. Caterpillars may be tended by ants. | 
               
              Food: | 
              
              
                |   | 
                 Native larval host plants include saltwort (Batis maritima), annual glasswort (Salicornia bigelovii) and perennial glasswort (Sarcocornia perennis). Native nectar plants include saltwort (Batis maritima) and the weedy Spanish-needles (Bidens alba var. radiata). | 
               
                Comments: | 
              
              
                |   | 
                 For more information, visit  The University of Florida IFAS Extension and Butterflies and Moths of North America.
 | 
               
              Synonyms: | 
              
              
                |   | 
                 Brephidium isophthalma, Brephidium isophthalma pseudofea | 
               
               |  
            | 
          
            
            
      
         | 
         
 
   |