Teeny tiny with a wingspan of just one inch. Don’t blink. You might miss it.

This is the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), that flies in a fast, unpredictable manner.

The ventral sides of a butterfly’s wings are the undersides, the sides that are seen when the wings are held together, closed. That is the preferred stance that the Spring Azure takes in nearly any circumstance. That underside of its wings are pale, pale gray with spots of various darker shades of charcoal gray.

The dorsal sides of the wings are the sides of the butterfly’s wings seen when those wings are open. If you’re fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the dorsal side of the wings you’ll see a lovely medium blue color.

Later in the summer there are some nearly identical butterflies that will be flying around, Summer Azures (Celastrina neglecta). How to tell the difference? When they are flying around.

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