Cupido alcetas
| Provençal short-tailed blue | |
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_Macedonia.jpg)
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| In North Macedonia | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Cupido |
| Species: | C. alcetas
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| Binomial name | |
| Cupido alcetas (Hoffmannsegg, 1804)
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| Synonyms | |
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Cupido alcetas, the Provençal short-tailed blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the family Lycaenidae.
Etymology[edit]
The Latin species name alcetas refers to Ἄλκηστις (Alcestis), in Greek mythology a princess daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus.
Distribution[edit]
First described from Austria by Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg in 1804, it occurs locally in southern and central Europe, Turkey, the Urals, southern Siberia and northern Kazakhstan.[1][2][3][4]
Habitat[edit]
This species lives in flowery grassy places, bushy and damp areas and woodland clearings at an elevation of 50–1,200 metres (160–3,940 ft) above sea level.[4][5]
Description[edit]
_alcetas_(mating).JPG)
Cupido alcetas has a wingspan of 26–32 millimetres (1.0–1.3 in).[5] In these small butterflies the upperside of the wings is blue-purple in males, brown in females (sexual dimorphism). The wing edge is black, with a white fringe. The underface of the wings is pale blue-gray, with a series of small black spots encircled with clearer blue. On the underside hindwings usually there is no orange. Sometimes it is present a single orange-colored anal spot that does not reach the marginal black spot. Close to the anal angle usually is present a thin, very short tail.[4]
This species is similar to the Short-tailed blue (Cupido argiades) and (less so) to the Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus).[4][5] The Eastern Short-tailed Blue ( Cupido decolorata ) can be differentiated by a black discoid spot on the upper surface of the forewings. However, a genital morphological examination is recommended for reliable identification . The short-tailed blue ( Everes argiades ) differs in that there are always two orange spots at the anal angle on the underside of the wings.
Biology[edit]
Adults fly from May to September.[5] Depending on the location, the species produces two to three generations annually (in May–June, July–August and in warmer regions in late September).[1][2][4][6] Larvae feed on leaves and inflorescences of various herbaceous plants of the family Fabaceae (such as Coronilla varia,[1] Galega officinalis,[1][2] Trifolium sp.,[1] Vicia sp.,[1] Medicago lupulina and Securigera varia).[6]
These larvae are myrmecophiles, living in association with ants of the genus Formica.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g Львовский А.Л., Моргун Д.В. 2007. Булавоусые чешуекрылые Восточной Европы. Москва: КМК. ISBN 978-5-87317-362-4. p. 230
- ^ a b c Tolman, Tom & Richard Lewington. 1997. Butterflies of Britain and Europe. Field Guide. London: Collins. ISBN 0-00-219992-0.
- ^ Fauna europaea
- ^ a b c d e Eurobutterflies.com
- ^ a b c d Simon Coombes Captain's European Butterfly Guide Archived 2019-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Pieris.ch
External links[edit]
- Cupido alcetas at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
- Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
- Lepiforum.de