Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
Species

Male. Taken at Dolna Kula, Bulgaria, on June 20th 2014.
(1/640th sec at f13. © David Hastings)

Male underside. Taken at Dolna Kula, Bulgaria, on June 20th 2014.
(1/640th sec at f13. © David Hastings)

Description

Family: Polyommatinae

Wing span: 24 - 34mm

Male Long-tailed Blues are steely violet-blue in colour, whereas the females are more brownish. The undersides have wavy brown markings with two black dots near the tails.

This species is widely distributed, and can be found in Europe, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia. It is a rare vagrant in the British Isles.

It can be found in hot, dry, flowery places, and also in cultivated pea and bean crops.

There are several broods per year, and it is continuously brooded in the Canary Islands.

The larvae feed on flowers, seeds and pods of many Fabaceae species, including Medicago, Crotalaria, Polygala, Sutherlandia, Dolichos, Cytisus, Spartium and Lathyrus.

Sightings

20-Jun-2014 : nr Dolna Kula, Bulgaria

14-Sep-2010 : Alameda Botanic Gardens, Gibraltar (1)

04-Mar-2008 : Madeira

13-May-2004 : Porto Santo