Miami Blue

[Leptraps at aol.com]

Prior to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the I.F.A.S. station near Homestead contained a number of citrus groves. In the tree was Cardiospermum corindum. This was rather common throughout the I.F.A.S. property. Chlorostrymon smimaethis could be common when the ballons were most abundant in late Sept through mid-Dec. I never saw Cyclargus thomasi at I.F.A.S. I collected C. thomasi at Hugh Taylor State Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County in 1982 and 1987. I returned in 1999 to look for it again but could not find it and assumed it was not there. Behind the greenhouse/nursery area there is open area with Cardiospermum corindum growing on the fence along Sunrise Blvd. and in the adjacent tree. This area was about 50 yards from were I found them in 1987. Whether this is the host plant for C. thomasi at this site I can not say.

The late Jack Heinrich and I found them on Marco Island in 1991. We could not locate any Cardiospermum in the area. Bob Beiriger and visited Marco Island in 1999 and the site is now occuppied by homes.

I can only remember Cardiospermum after it became it's known host in the mid 1970's.

What is the host plant of C. thomasi on the other Carribean Islands?
 
Cheers,

Leroy C. Koehn
Georgetown, KY




 
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