Male. Taken in the Vercors Natural Park, France, on July 25th 2018.
(1/500th sec at f14. © David Hastings)

Aberrant male. Taken in the Vercors Natural Park, France, on July 25th 2018.
(1/800th sec at f14. © David Hastings)

Description

Family: Polyommatinae

Wing span: 32 - 36mm

This species is very similar to the Chalk Hill Blue, but males appear very pale in flight. The male forewing is pale grey with black spots. Females are indistinguishable in the field.

It is endemic to Europe. It is confined to SW Europe, in the Pyrenees, NE Spain, SW France and NW Italy.

Typical habitat is warm and dry grasslands scattered with bushes, mostly on calcareous soils between 500 and 1200m.

There are two generations per year, the first from April to June, and the second from August to October.

The larval foodplant is Horseshoe Vetch.

The caterpillars are attended by ants of the genera Plagiolepis and Crematogaster.

It is listed as being of Least Concern on the IUCN list.

Sightings

25-Jul-2018

:

Vercors Natural Park, France