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.
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies, with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.
Riodinidae is the family of metalmark butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small, metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. The 1,532 species are placed in 146 genera. Although mostly Neotropical in distribution, the family is also represented both in the Nearctic, Palearctic, Australasian (Dicallaneura), Afrotropic, and Indomalayan realms.
The gray hairstreak is also called the bean lycaenid or cotton square borer. It is a member of the Lycaenidae family, known as the gossamer-winged butterflies and the second-largest family of butterflies. It is one of the most common hairstreaks in North America, ranging over nearly the entire continent. It also occurs throughout Central America and in northern South America.
Poritia hewitsoni, the common gem, is a small butterfly found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Miletinae is a subfamily of the family Lycaenidae of butterflies, commonly called harvesters and woolly legs, and virtually unique among butterflies in having predatory larvae. Miletinae are entirely aphytophagous. The ecology of the Miletinae is little understood, but adults and larvae live in association with ants, and most known species feed on Hemiptera, though some, like Liphyra, feed on the ants themselves. The butterflies, ants, and hemipterans, in some cases, seem to have complex symbiotic relationships benefiting all.
Poritia is a genus of lycaenid butterflies. The species of this genus are found in the Indomalayan realm. Poritia was erected by Frederic Moore in 1887.
Euliphyra is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Polyommatus damon, the Damon blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Pentila is a genus of butterflies, commonly called pentilas or buffs, in the family Lycaenidae. The species of this genus are endemic to the Afrotropics. For other butterflies called buffs, see genus Baliochila.
Leptotes marina, the marine blue or striped blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America and Central America.
Arhopala madytus, the bright oakblue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Hans Fruhstorfer in 1914. It is found on New Guinea and adjacent islands and the north-east coast of Queensland, Australia.
Cigaritis avriko, the fine silverline, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, southern Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, western Kenya and Ethiopia. The habitat consists of savanna.
Euliphyra mirifica, the African moth butterfly, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, northern Angola and the western two-thirds of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The habitat consists of forests.
Euliphyra leucyania, the lesser moth butterfly, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sankuru), western Uganda and north-western Tanzania. The habitat consists of forests.
Cerautola is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, endemic to the Afrotropical realm.
Cerautola hewitsoni is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.
Megalopalpus zymna, the common harvester, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan, Uganda, north-western Tanzania and Zambia. The habitat is forest and dense agricultural land.
Pentila hewitsoni, the Hewitson's cream pentila, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The habitat consists of deep forests.
Ogyris amaryllis, the amaryllis azure or satin azure, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Australia.
