Polyommatus semiargus
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| Mazarine blue | |
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| File:Polyommatus semiargus 03 - male (HS).jpg | |
| Male Mazarine blue (Polyommatus semiargus) |
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P. semiargus
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| Polyommatus semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775)
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Polyommatus semiargus, the Mazarine blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The wingspan of the male and female are similar,[1] at 32–38 mm.[2]
The Mazarine blue's population is distributed throughout continental Europe, even reaching into the Arctic Circle, Asia, the Middle East,[3] and Morocco.[4] There was a large native population in Britain in the early part of the 19th century, which disappeared before the 20th century,[5][6] though single vagrants have been spotted,[7] and some estimates of British resident extinction are as late as 1906.[8] In 2009, UNESCO was researching a possible British reintroduction of the Mazarine blue to Britain.[9]
Recently, the Mazarine blue's numbers have been declining in European range (particularly Scandinavia) and the reason currently remains unclear.
The main plant the butterfly feeds off of is red clover and other species of Trifolium. Its habitats are meadows, pastures, grasslands and flowery areas. It seems to prefer places which are not fertilized and not used for fodder production.
The male Mazarine blue's wings are a deep blue color and are slightly larger in diameter than the female's wings. The female Mazarine blue is a brown color. In both sexes of the butterfly the Mazarine blue lack orange markings and have a dark violet or brown body color. The butterfly has been compared to the common blue, and the Grecian Helena subspecies which has orange markings. Their flight time is from May to August.[10]
The larva is yellow-green with darker lines and has fine hairs and dark brown spiracles. The pupa is olive-green and attached to the food plant with a silk girdle.[11]
References
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