Lysandra hispana

Lysandra hispana, the Provence chalk-hill blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Spain, southern France and northern Italy.

Lysandra hispana
Male at El Mas de Bondia, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Lysandra
Species:
L. hispana
Binomial name
Lysandra hispana
Synonyms
  • Polyommatus hispanus
  • Polyommatus hispana

The wingspan is 16–18 mm. It is very similar to Lysandra coridon but is paler (greyer and duller, greyish pearly-blue, nacreous blue) with the distal margin more strongly spotted. However both are very variable. The butterfly is on wing from April to September in two generations.The habitat is dry grassland on chalk or limestone.

The larvae feed on horseshoe vetch.


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