Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) | Species | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Female. Taken near Sandanski, Bulgaria, on July 22nd 2015. (1/250th sec at f16. © David Hastings) DescriptionFamily: Polyommatinae Wing span: 21 - 30 mm The male Lang's Short-tailed Blue has violet-blue upper sides, whereas the female is bluish-brown. The underside is light brown with numerous wavy white lines. There are two black spots near the tail on the hind wing. It is not related to other short-tailed blues in the Cupido genus. This species can be found in southern and south-east Europe, in Asia Minor up to the Himalayas, and in most of Africa and Madagascar. It is strongly migratory into southern Europe, although it is probably resident in the Mediterranean region. Typical habitats are wasteland, cultivated areas and gardens up to 1200m. There are several broods between February and October. The larvae feed on legumes, mostly Plumbago (Medicago sativa), and a wide range of other low-growing plants. Both sexes frequently visit flowers, Plumbago being a particular favourite. Sightings
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