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Lampides boeticus

Long Tailed Blue

Field Notes

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Andalusia, Spain, October 2005

 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003

 

Long Tailed Blue
Lampides boeticus

Distribution: North Africa and Mediterranean Europe. Strongly migratory, it reaches northwards to N Germany. Occasionally reaching S England.

Identification: A long tail on the hindwing separates this spices from most of the other blues. The uniform underside ground colour and a strong white submarginal streak differentiate it from the only butterfly with which it may normally be confused - the Lang's Short Tailed Blue, Leptotes pirithous. In flight it looks steely grey rather than typical blue.

Flight time: Most of the year in the most southerly climes, migrating northwards as the season progresses.

Habitat: Diverse. Typically hot to very hot flowery places. Larvae feed on the flowers and pods of various pea plants (Leguminosae).

Behaviour: Often found flying very rapidly around stands of pea plants. In these circumstances it can be quite numerous.

Additional notes: It very very occasionally reaches the UK where I am proud to say we found one in the summer of 1998.

 

Crete, June 2004

 

Crete, June 2004
Feeding on the Cretan endemic Shrubby Sainfoin, Ebenus creticus.

 

Cyprus, April 2002

 

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