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Pseudophilotes bavius bavius

Bavius Blue

Field Notes

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Cluj, Romania, May 2009
Larval food plant, Salvia nutans. The adults fly very early in Romania in April.

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

Female, dozy after freezing night temperatures.

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

Female as above

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

Three bavius with two G. alexis. Both bavius with wings open show very little orange on the upperside. This corresponds with the form macedonicus.

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

It was so dull this day that flash was necessary to
photograph this roosting male.

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

A female, I think, judging by the relatively whiter marginal area of the hindwing.

 

Kozani, Greece, May 2004

 
A stunning butterfly of vivid blue and crisp bold underside markings. This is the subspecies bavius (considered a species by some authors) that flies in Greece and eastern Europe. It has an extremely localised distribution but where we found it in the Askion Mountains of northern Greece it was fairly wide ranging. It became fairly common too in mid May but we only came across one or two females amongst all the males.

They didn't every fly very far or rapidly, preferring to make frequent stops on rocks particularly along rough tracks. They would take salts at puddles and dung and often stop at flowers to take nectar although this activity was not often seen.

In the Askion Mountains the dominant form of subspecies bavius is called casimiri. This has limited (relative to P. (bavius) fatma) orange on the upperside hindwing. Amongst this population the form macedonicus is also found which has greatly reduced orange. It can be seen in some photos above.

 

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