Plebejus pylaon

Zephyr blue
Plebejus pylaon nichollae copulating (female right, male left).
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Plebejus
Species: P. pylaon
Binomial name
Plebejus pylaon
Synonyms
  • Lycaena pylaon Fischer von Waldheim, 1832
  • Polyommatus pylaon
  • Albulina pylaon
  • Polyommatus (Albulina) pylaon
  • Plebejus cleopatra Hemming, 1934

Plebejus pylaon, the zephyr blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found from Spain, across southern Europe, Hungary, the Balkans, southern Russia and the Middle East to Iran.[2] The habitat consists of dry habitats, Sudan savanna and the Sahel.

The wingspan is 28–34 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July.[3]

The larvae feed on Astragalus species, including Astragalus exscapus, Astragalus dasyanthus, Astragalus parnassi cyllenus, Astragalus angustifolius and Astragalus creticus rumelicus. They are attended by ants of the Bothriomyrmex, Tapinoma, Lasius, Camponotus, Tetramorium and Formica genera.[4]

Seitz 78h

Description from Seitz

L. pylaon Fisch.-Waldh. (= zephyrus H.-Sch., cyane Ev.) (78 h). The male of this small Blue recalls by the peculiar violet sheen of the upperside the form planorum of argyrognomon. Beneath snowy white, the hindwing with a strong sky-blue sheen and the distal band composed of vivid golden red, strongly glossy spots. — From the Ural, South Russia and the Kirghiz steppes, in May, not rare.[5]

Subspecies

  • Plebejus pylaon pylaon
  • Plebejus pylaon cleopatra Hemming, 1934
  • Plebejus pylaon delattini Junge, 1971
  • Plebejus pylaon katunensis Balint & Lukhtanov, 1990
  • Plebejus pylaon nichollae Elwes, 1901
  • Plebejus pylaon philbyi Graves 1925
  • Plebejus pylaon solimana (Forster, 1938)
  • Plebejus pylaon tadjikus Tschikolovetz
  • Plebejus pylaon hespericus Rambur 1839
  • Plebejus pylaon trappi Verity, 1927

etc... ...

References

  1. ↑ Plebejus, funet.fi
  2. ↑ Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Tribe Polyommatini (part 1)
  3. ↑ Captain's European Butterfly Guide
  4. ↑ Moths and Butterflies of Europe
  5. ↑ Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren)


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