CYNA BLUE (ZIZULA CYNA) BUTTERFLY. Image via Wikipedia
For butterfly watchers, one of the joys of living in Texas is the diversity of species. That diversity is caused by the fact that Texas is where the three main geographical regions of North America all come together: the Western Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Eastern Forests.
Between March and November the tiny (5/8 to 7/8 inch) Cyna Blue (Zizula cyna), a pale blue butterfly of the Lycaenidae family, is found in subtropical and desert regions from southern Texas, south through Mexico, Central America and South America to Argentina. Occasionally the Cyna Blue can be seen in northern Texas, southern Arizona or as far north as Kansas.
The Cyna Blue is violet blue on the upper side and pale gray with tiny black spots on the underside.
Cyna Blue catterpillars eat flower buds of Acanthaceae family, a huge family of over 250 flowering plants that includes mangrove, acanthus, and verbena. The adult butterflies drink nectar from flowers.
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