Cupido alcetas, the Provençal short-tailed blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the family Lycaenidae.

Provençal short-tailed blue
In North Macedonia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Cupido
Species:
C. alcetas
Binomial name
Cupido alcetas
(Hoffmannsegg, 1804)
Synonyms
  • Everes alcetas
  • Papilio coretas Ochsenheimer, 1808

Etymology

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The Latin species name alcetas refers to Ἄλκηστις (Alcestis), in Greek mythology a princess daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus.

Distribution

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First described from Austria by Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg in 1804, it occurs locally in southern and central Europe, Turkey, the Urals, southern Siberia and northern Kazakhstan.[1][2][3][4]

Habitat

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This species lives in flowery grassy places, bushy and damp areas and woodland clearings at an elevation of 50–1,200 metres (160–3,940 ft) above sea level.[4][5]

Description

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Mating pair

Cupido alcetas has a wingspan of 26–32 millimetres (1.0–1.3 in).[5] In these small butterflies the upperside of the wings is blue-purple in males, brown in females (sexual dimorphism). The wing edge is black, with a white fringe. The underface of the wings is pale blue-gray, with a series of small black spots encircled with clearer blue. On the underside hindwings usually there is no orange. Sometimes it is present a single orange-colored anal spot that does not reach the marginal black spot. Close to the anal angle usually is present a thin, very short tail.[4]

This species is similar to the Short-tailed blue (Cupido argiades) and (less so) to the Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus).[4][5] The Eastern Short-tailed Blue ( Cupido decolorata ) can be differentiated by a black discoid spot on the upper surface of the forewings. However, a genital morphological examination is recommended for reliable identification . The short-tailed blue ( Everes argiades ) differs in that there are always two orange spots at the anal angle on the underside of the wings.

Biology

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Adults fly from May to September.[5] Depending on the location, the species produces two to three generations annually (in May–June, July–August and in warmer regions in late September).[1][2][4][6] Larvae feed on leaves and inflorescences of various herbaceous plants of the family Fabaceae (such as Coronilla varia,[1] Galega officinalis,[1][2] Trifolium sp.,[1] Vicia sp.,[1] Medicago lupulina and Securigera varia).[6]

These larvae are myrmecophiles, living in association with ants of the genus Formica.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Львовский А.Л., Моргун Д.В. 2007. Булавоусые чешуекрылые Восточной Европы. Москва: КМК. ISBN 978-5-87317-362-4. p. 230
  2. ^ a b c Tolman, Tom & Richard Lewington. 1997. Butterflies of Britain and Europe. Field Guide. London: Collins. ISBN 0-00-219992-0.
  3. ^ Fauna europaea
  4. ^ a b c d e Eurobutterflies.com
  5. ^ a b c d Simon Coombes Captain's European Butterfly Guide Archived 2019-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b Pieris.ch
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