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| Common Name | Eastern Pygmy-Blue by Bob Cavanaugh
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| Scientific Name | Brephidium pseudofea
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| Link to BAMONA species account. |
| Map | Click on a county for list of all database records for the species in that county.
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| Distribution | DISTRIBUTION: Stray, apparently, though a possible breeder, along the southern half of the coast. The only known record is one collected by Bob Cavanaugh in his garden in Newport, Carteret County, on June 20, 2021. This is a coastal species of salt marshes, ranging from northern SC south to FL and along the Gulf Coast to eastern TX. Thus, it possibly could be a resident in Brunswick County, NC, if not farther northward, though it has been searched for on many occasions without success.
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| Abundance | ABUNDANCE: Casual stray, but to be looked for as a resident species along the southern coast.
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| Flight | FLIGHT PERIOD: The sole record is for June 20. The GA flight period (several broods) extends from very late April to late September, and this is also likely the flight period in coastal SC.
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| Habitat | HABITAT: As a breeding resident, restricted to coastal salt marshes, especially around salt flats where forbs (herbaceous plants other than grasses, sedges, and rushes) grow, especially glasswort (Salicornia) species, as well as Saltwort (Batis maritima).
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| Plants | FOOD AND NECTAR PLANTS: The foodplants are succulent tidal species -- only the glassworts and Saltwort. The species nectars on the few flowering species in such marshes, especially Sea-lavender (Limonium carolinianum).
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| Comments | COMMENTS: A handful of people have searched tidal marshes in Brunswick County, especially in the Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach areas, without success. However, these searches were variously 10, 20, or 30 years ago; perhaps the species has expanded northward from Horry County, SC, by now. However, there is an extensive zone of unsuitable habitat -- the Myrtle Beach area -- that perhaps prevents the species from reaching NC as a breeding resident. As there was a tropical storm (Claudette) that reached NC from the Gulf Coast earlier, on June 19-20, with fairly strong winds, plus numerous other southerly winds in recent days, the collector assumed it came into his yard by such strong winds, as Newport lies about 10 miles from coastal waters. Nonetheless, there should now be renewed interest in searching southern salt marshes in NC; it is well known that a handful of plants and animals are extending their ranges northward in recent years owing to global warming.
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State Rank | SA | | State Status | |
Global Rank | G4 | | Federal Status | |
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