Azures in College Park

[waltp...@gmail.com]

I saw at least 4 Azures this afternoon between 2:30 and 3:30 pm.

It was warm, about 70f, and the Azures did not land except momentarily.

I stayed for about an hour and took 75 photos of the flying butterflies, most of which are very blurred.

I am pretty sure they are Summer Azures (Celastrina neglecta), that is what I have always seen at this location in past years.  

I have not seen any other Azure species at this location.

They were in College Park along the NE Branch Anacostia path near the brick sewage structure.

I also saw two worn Mourning Cloaks and an unidentified anglewing, probably an Eastern Comma.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344071551

Walter Gould

[Jeff Shenot]

I saw a lot of Azures on Mar 21 at my house (I tried to count but they were moving targets and interacting) so I estimated at least 12. They were very active at both of the mature Sweetbay Magnolias in our yard, and we have numerous Flowering Dogwoods in the yard.  I previously thought any of the first azures out here would all be Summers, but now I am pretty sure I have both. I put some of them up on iNaturalist here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2026-03-21&subview=map&user_id=jugbayjs&verifiable=any  Any comments on id's are appreciated!

Jeff Shenot

[Rick Borchelt]

I will leave these to Harry to parse but I generally can’t ID to species between ladon and neglecta from underside shots only. The one with open wings is neglecta. I still think it’s early for ladon. They usually fly in our area of the state between the first and second flights of neglecta, and neglecta 1 is just getting going. You might also pulse Harry about timing of idella, which I suspect also flies in the extensive holly in the sandy floodplain along the river. I think it also flies later than neglecta. 

On Mar 23, 2026, at 8:42 am, Jeff Shenot <jugb...@gmail.com> wrote:

I saw a lot of Azures on Mar 21 at my house (I tried to count but they were moving targets and interacting) so I estimated at least 12. They were very active at both of the mature Sweetbay Magnolias in our yard, and we have numerous Flowering Dogwoods in the yard.  I previously thought any of the first azures out here would all be Summers, but now I am pretty sure I have both. I put some of them up on iNaturalist here:

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