Pseudophilotes barbagiae

Sardinia, Italy, May 2003

Sardinia, Italy, May 2003

Sardinia, Italy, May 2003

Sardinia, Italy, May 2003

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.

Sardinian Blue