Cupido decolorata, the Eastern short-tailed blue, is a small butterfly found in the Palearctic (Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia and the Soviet Union - the European part, the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Russian Federation) that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

Cupido decolorata
Cupido decolorata as Polyommatus saportae Duponchel, 1832
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Cupido
Species:
C. decolorata
Binomial name
Cupido decolorata
Synonyms

Description edit

It is a small butterfly with a sexual dimorphism, the upperside of the male is dull blue bordered with grey, that of the female is brown, both with a white fringe. The underside is pale grey a little suffused with blue and decorated with lines of small black dots.This species is similar to the Short-tailed blue (Everes argiades) and to Cupido alcetas.

Biology edit

The larva on feeds on Medicago sativa, Medicago lupulina

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Staudinger, 1886 Centralasiatische Lepidopteren Stett. Ent. Ztg. 47 (4-6): 193-215, (7-9): 225-256
  2. ^ Cupido decolorata, funet.fi