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| Mazarine blue | |
|---|---|
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| Male, Estonia | |
 | |
| Italy | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Cyaniris |
| Species: | C. semiargus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyaniris semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Cyaniris semiargus, the Mazarine blue, is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.
Subspecies include: [1]
The Mazarine blue's population is distributed throughout continental Europe, [2] reaching into the Arctic Circle, Morocco, [1] and the Middle East [3] [4] then east across the Palearctic to Siberia and the Russian Far East. There was a large native population in Britain in the early part of the 19th century, but it disappeared before the 20th century, [5] [6] though single vagrants have been spotted, [7] and some estimates of British resident extinction are as late as 1906. [8] In 2009, UNESCO was researching a possible reintroduction of the Mazarine blue to Britain. [9] Recently, the Mazarine blue's numbers have been declining in its European range (particularly Scandinavia) and the reason remains unclear.
This common species inhabits meadows, pastures, grasslands and flowery grassy damp areas up to 2200m. It seems to prefer places which are not fertilized and not used for fodder production. [10]
The wingspan of the male and female are similar, [11] at 32–38 mm. [12] [10]
These butterflies present a sexual dimorphism. The male Mazarine blue's wings are a deep blue with a heavy venation and are slightly larger in diameter than the female's. The upperside of the wings shows black borders and white fringes. [13] The female Mazarine blue is brown. The underside of the wings is greyish or ocher, with a series of black spots surrounded by white and a blue scaling in the basal area. [13]
Both sexes lack orange markings and have a dark violet or brown body colour. The butterfly has been compared to the common blue, and the Grecian Cyaniris bellis (Freyer, 1845) which has orange markings. [14]
This species is rather similar to Cupido minimus , but in the underside hindwings of the Mazarine blue the black spot in space 6 and the two spots next to it form an obtuse angle, while in C. minimus they create an acute angle. [13]
The larva is yellow green with darker lines and has fine hairs and dark brown spiracles. [15] The pupa is olive green and attached to the food plant with a silk girdle. [16]
L. semiargus Rott. (= acis .Schiff., argiolus Fuessl, argianus Zett.) (82 e). male above dull but deep blue, without gloss, with black margin and thin dark discocellular spot; the fringes pure white. Female above black-brown, the fringes darkened. Underside earth-grey with blue scaling at the base, distinct discocellular spot and a row of discal ocelli as well as a basal ocellus below the costa of the hindwing. Of the modifications in the ocelli of the hindwing we mention first ab. spadae Hellweger, in which the ocelli are all absent. In ab. caeca Fuchs there is only one ocellus on the forewing. In ab. striata Wheel. the ocelli are modified into streaks. The ocelli are enlarged and placed nearer to the outer margin in aetnaea Zett., which was (accidentally) found on the Etna. Throughout Europe and North Asia, eastwards to the Pacific; also in England, but here rare and apparently disappearing; in Europe and Asia as far north as 68 deg(Herz). — montana M.-Dur [C semiargus ssp. montana Meyer-Dür, 1852] (82 e) is an alpine form which occurs in the higher Alps and the mountains of South-East Europe; smaller, the male bright blue above, with broader black distal border. — bellis Frr. [Cyaniris bellis (Freyer, 1845)] (82 e, f) is above like montana, but the hindwing beneath bears traces of yellowish red spots in anal area. — impura Krul has dull yellow spots before the whole outer margin, especially on thehindwing; from East Russia. — parnassia Stgr.[Cyaniris bellis] from the Balkan Peninsula, resembles impura, but is larger. — In helena Stgr. [Cyaniris bellis]. (82 f), a small form from the mountains of Southern Greece, the reddish yellow spots of the underside form a continuous chain and some of them appear in the female also on the upperside, which is quite generally the case in the still more southern form antiochenaLed.[C. b. antiochena (Lederer, 1861)] — Larva dull greenish yellow with brown head, a dark dorsal line and a dark lateral one; in July and in the autumn on Anthyllis and Armeria vulgaris, in the inflorescences. Pupa light olive-green, the hibernating pupae become brown later on; fastened with anal end at the stem of the food-plant (Assmus). The butterflies in May and again in August, in most districts singly but common, flying on broad forest roads and grassy borders of fields. Their flight is rather clumsy and very low, the insects usually keeping quite close to the ground and frequently visiting Potentilla, Ranunculus and Trefoil. In the high mountains the species is one of the commonest on damp places on roads. [17]
This species has one brood each year. It overwinters as a young larva. Adults fly from May to August. [10] Caterpillars mainly feed on Red Clover ( Trifolium pratense ) and other species of Trifolium ( Trifolium medium , Trifolium spadiceum ), on Vicia cracca , Anthyllis , Genista and Melilotus . [1] [18]
Mazarine is a shade of deep rich blue on late 17th- and early 18th-century export porcelain, itself derived from Cardinal Mazarin.
The common blue butterfly or European common blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with a black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots.
The brown hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The range includes most of the Palaearctic.
The silver-studded blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It has bright blue wings rimmed in black with white edges and silver spots on its hindwings, lending it the name of the silver-studded blue. P. argus can be found across Europe and east across the Palearctic, but it is most often studied in the United Kingdom where the species has experienced a severe decline in population due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Aricia agestis, the brown argus, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic realm, north to northern Jutland (Denmark) and east to Siberia and the Tian Shan.
The chalkhill blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk. Males have a pale blue colour, while females are brown. Both have chequered fringes around their wings.
The Adonis blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It inhabits the Palearctic realm.
The purple-edged copper is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Polyommatus eros, the Eros blue or common meadow blue, is a species of blue butterfly found in the Palearctic.
The scarce large blue is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, northern Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine and East across the Palearctic to Japan. The species was first described by Johann Andreas Benignus Bergsträsser in 1779.
Cyaniris is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Glaucopsyche alexis, the green-underside blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Palearctic.
Leptotes pirithous, commonly known as Lang's short-tailed blue or common zebra blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Polyommatus damon, the Damon blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Polyommatus daphnis, the Meleager's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Polyommatus escheri, Escher's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Southern Europe and Morocco.
Polyommatus (Plebicula) dorylas, the turquoise blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Ural Mountains, Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Its wingspan is 15–17 mm. The butterfly's common name comes from the dazzling bright blue colour of male's wings. The larvae feed on Anthyllis vulneraria. The butterfly flies from May to September in two generations. Habitats include flowery meadows in rocky areas at 500–2000 m.
Polyommatus admetus, the anomalous blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It was described by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1783. It is found in south-eastern Europe and Turkey.
Neolysandra coelestina is a butterfly found in the Palearctic that belongs to the blues family.
Cyaniris bellis, the Greek mazarine blue, is a butterfly found in the Palearctic that belongs to the blues family.
Udara singalensis, the Singalese hedge blue, is a species of Lycaenidae butterfly. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Locality: Morocco Sub Species: maroccana
first mentioned as British in 1710 and there are several hundred sightings recorded up until the late 19th century. Various dates are given for the last sighting, although all are linked with a particular region. The end of the 19th century seems to mark a watershed, after which there are very few records.
four species have become extinct [in Britain] (i.e. Lycaena dispar 1851, Cyaniris semiargus 1877, Aporia crataegi c. 1925, Maculinea arion 1979).
Cyaniris semiargus (Mazarine Blue - extinct, now occasionally adventive)
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