Description
A medium sized tailed blue with a wingspan of 25-35mm. It is very variable in size, with dwarf forms being common in both sexes.  The upper side of the male is violet blue and frosted over uniformly. The upper side of the female are dark brown but blue basally. In both sexes, the under side ground color is grayish brown or shades of it

Similar species
None.

Status, distribution and habitat
A widely distributed common species in the island found all year round. It is commonest along hedge rows or boundaries of properties with overgrown vegetation, specially with leguminous plants, which are its larval host plant. As might be expected, it is also quite common in farmers fields with leguminous crops, which it prefers over the wild species. This is a very widely distributed cosmopolitan species that is found in Europe, Africa and Asia and the UK.

Habits
It is an active butterfly and a strong flier and loves the sun. It visits a variety of flowers but show a strong preference for composites. The males frequently settle on damp soil to pickup essential salts and minerals. In the early morning hours it perches on sunlit leaves with its wings half open.

Early stages
Larval food plants: Very variable and includes many species of legumes.

Previous  |  Next

Danaidae | Satyridae | Amathusiidae | Nymphalidae | Acraeidea | Libytheidae | Riodinidae | Lycaenidae | Pieridae | Papilionidae | Hesperidae