| Northern brown argus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Aricia |
| Species: | A. artaxerxes |
| Binomial name | |
| Aricia artaxerxes (Fabricius, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
Plebeius artaxerxes | |
The northern brown argus (Aricia artaxerxes) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found throughout much of the Palearctic realm.
This species has confused British entomologists for years. Since its discovery in Britain it has been thought to be a form or a subspecies of the brown argus (Aricia agestis) and as well as a species in its own right. Since 1967 all brown arguses in the north of England and Scotland have been classified as this species. In the last few years genetic studies have shown that some of the colonies along the border of the two species ranges are still being wrongly classified and some colonies in the north of England are now thought to be A. agestis. So far as is known their ranges do not overlap in the UK. The Scottish form is visually quite distinct from the brown argus. It usually has a small white dot in the centre of the upperside forewing and the black spots on the underside are missing leaving larger white spots on the light brown background. The northern English populations belong to a form called salmacis (called the Durham argus in English [1] ) and are very similar to the brown argus including the presence of black spots on the under-wing (see photo) hence all the confusion. In Europe where it is known as the mountain argus, it is widespread in Scandinavia and mountainous regions of central, southern and eastern Europe. The species is considered locally rare in Britain, and the UK has established a detailed Biodiversity Action Plan to conserve this species along with a small number of other butterfly species.
Eggs are laid singly on the upperside of the food plant leaves. As far is known common rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium) seems to be the sole food plant in Britain. The larvae hibernate while still quite small and continue to feed and grow the following spring. Like the brown argus, it is attractive to ants and often attended by them. Pupation takes place at ground level in late May and butterflies are on the wing from mid-June to mid-July.
The silver-washed fritillary is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palearctic realm – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia, and Japan.
The silver-studded blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. This eye-catching butterfly 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 Asia, but is most often studied in the United Kingdom in which 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.
Note that information on this species applies to Western Europe and some details may not be consistent with the species in other parts of its range.
The dark green fritillary is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic realm - Europe, Morocco, Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan.
Oberthür's grizzled skipper is a species of skipper. The species is named after the French entomologist Charles Oberthür (1845–1924) who originally described it.
Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill is a 64.8-hectare (160-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, notified in 1990. The hills are above the town of Axbridge, immediately to the east of Shute Shelve Hill.
The purple-edged copper is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Scolitantides orion, the chequered blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Europe, Russia and east across the Palearctic to Japan.
Boloria titania, the Titania's fritillary or purple bog fritillary, is a butterfly of the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae.
Plebejus argyrognomon, common name Reverdin's blue is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. The species is named after Jacques-Louis Reverdin.
Plebejus idas, the Idas blue or northern blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Aricia nicias, the silvery argus, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Alps, Pyrenees and from Scandinavia ranging to Siberia and the north of Mongolia.
The safflower skipper butterfly is a species of skipper butterfly.
Boloria napaea, the Napaea fritillary or mountain fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. In Europe the species is found in the Alps, mountainous areas in northern Scandinavia and very local in the eastern parts of the Pyrenees. In North America it is found in Alaska, northwestern Canada, and in small populations in the Canadian part of the Rocky Mountains, Alberta, and Wyoming. In Asia it is found in Siberia, the Altai Mountains, and the Amur Oblast.
Aricia cramera, the southern brown argus, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is a butterfly of Southern Europe and North Africa and can be found from Morocco and Tunisia up to Spain and Portugal, on Mediterranean islands including Menorca and on the Canary Islands.
Agriades glandon, the Arctic blue or Glandon blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It in found in Eurasia and North America.
Aricia is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. The genus was erected by Ludwig Reichenbach in 1817.
Junonia orithya is a nymphalid butterfly with many subspecies occurring from Africa, through southern and south-eastern Asia, Cambodia and in Australia. In India, its common English name is the blue pansy, but in southern Africa it is known as the eyed pansy as the name blue pansy refers to Junonia oenone. In Australia, this butterfly is known as the blue argus, but this name also is used for the Aricia anteros in Europe.