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Blue Argus
Ultraaricia anteros
Distribution: Balkan Peninsular, widspread in Greece, FYROM and parts
of Bulgaria, very local further north.
Identification: Males are bright blue. The black cell spot of the male
is distinctive. Undersides are boldly marked, with bright orange spots reaching
the apex of both wings. The undersides are a rich brown.
Flight time: Two generations from May to September.
Habitat: Meadows amongst woodland and grassy slopes. Usually hot
places from low to high levels. I've found it from around 500m to 1900m, the
literature indicates an even wider range.
Behaviour: The bright blue of the males usually attracts attention to
this lovely species. I have generally found in grassy meadows close to woodland,
although at higher levels it is well above the treeline where gulleys in
grassland appear to be favoured.
Additional notes: I've found it on a number of occasions in Greece so
it is widespread. However, I've never seen more than two at any one time so it
appears to survive at rather low density.
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