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Chalk Hill Blue
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Valais,
Switzerland,
July 2010 |
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Var, France,
July 2010 |
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Valais,
Switzerland, October 2010 |
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Vaud,
Switzerland, August 2010 |
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Var, France,
July 2009 |
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Valais,
Switzerland, August 2009 |
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N Macedonia,
Greece, August 2008 |
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Valais,
Switzerland, Aug/ Sept 2007 |
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Valais,
Switzerland, June/ Aug 2008 |
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NW Greece,
August 2008 |
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Parnassos, S
Greece, August 2007 |
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Vaud,
Switzerland, August 2008 |
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Isère, France, August 2004 |
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Isère, France, August 2004 |
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Vaud, Switzerland, July 2006 |
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Vaud, Switzerland, July 2006 |
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Vaud, Switzerland, July 2006 |
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Valais, Switzerland, July 2006 |
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Valais, Switzerland, July 2006 |
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Vaud, Switzerland, July 2006 |
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Isère, France, August 2004 |
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Vaud, Switzerland, July 2004 |
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Vienna, Austria, July 2001 |
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Hampshire, UK, August 2001 |
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Vienna, Austria, July 2001 |
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Provence, France, September 2002 Butterfly found close to that in the next photo. |
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Provence, France, September 2002 Borders look
completely different to butterfly above - possibly |
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Vienna, Austria, July 2001 Female |
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A widespread species of chalk and limestone across most of Europe. It is missing from all but northern Spain, UK (except the southern chalk hills), Scandinavia and north Africa. The males are of a soft papery blue which distinguishes the Chalk Hill Blues from all other blues. Unfortunately it is extremely similar to the Provence Chalk Hill Blue with which it has a range overlap around the Mediterranean. I am not convinced the species can be told apart very easily as both species are very variable in many wing characteristics. In Spain there are several subspecies named. See also the Azure Chalk Hill Blue, L. coridon caelestissima plus L. c. asturiensis. In Slovakia there is a small area of double brooded butterflies. These are potentially a separate species which has been tentatively called L. slovakius. We found a species of Lysandra that would fit the description at the end of June. Unfortunately the normal coridon would be beginning to fly at that time and without any external diagnostic characteristics I cannot confirm that they were slovakius. They were worn though which probably meant they had been flying for about 2 or 3 weeks so... possibly....? |