Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta)
Jame N. Allan Provincial Park, ON 2013/09/17
Male - Point Pelee National Park, ON 2014/09/19
Female - Port Colborne, ON 2015/06/11
Port Burwell, ON 2017/07/26
Member of Family: Lycaenidae
This species can be difficult to distinguish from the other closely related Celastrina species based solely on appearance ( especially in photographs ). It is likely to be the more common species found in Southern Ontario later in summer, although there is a later season flight of the Northern Azure. There is supposed to be a spring flight of the species ( which looks more like the Northern Azure ), but so far there is limited evidence for this.
There is still uncertainty about the taxonomy of the Celastrina species in Ontario and the rest of Eastern Canada, and experts are not in agreement on where species boundaries should be drawn. Some more recent research is referenced at this link: Ontario Insects page on Azures
To see where this butterfly has been reported, visit: The Ontario Butterfly Atlas Online
For further info on this species, refer to the Butterflies of Canada