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Sardinian Blue
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Sardinia,
Italy, May 2003 |
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Sardinia,
Italy, May 2003 |
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Sardinia,
Italy, May 2003 |
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Sardinia,
Italy, May 2003 |
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Sardinia,
Italy, May 2003 |
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This is a rather small dull
brown butterfly. Even the male is very nearly completely brown, almost
lacking any hint of blue. What it lacks in colour it makes up for in
interest. It is the only Pseudophilotes on Sardinia, and is not
found anywhere else. It has a very restricted range, known only from a
horseshoe shaped distribution on the north, west and south or Mt
Gennargentu in Sardinia. It seems possible that it flies in other places
on Sardinia but has never been reported from other mountains. It is
clearly closely related to the Pseudophilotes relatives from the
mainland, such as the widespread P. baton, having the
characteristic underside spot pattern, checkered wing fringes and the
habit of cupping the wings half open when resting.
We found it fairly easily
to the NW of Mt Gennargentu wherever we stopped. It liked open grassland
but at one site it was flying amongst the outlying scrub of a small area
of woodland. Flying with it here were most of the other Sardinian
endemics on the wing in May - L. megera paramegera, Aglais
urticae ichnusa, E. insularis, C. corinna, S.
sertorius therapne but not P. hospiton. |
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