Light blue alps

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Light blue alps
Plebeius orbitulus.male.jpg

Light alpine blue ( Plebejus orbitulus )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Bluebirds (Lycaenidae)
Subfamily : Polyommatinae
Genre : Plebeian
Type : Light blue alps
Scientific name
Plebeius orbitulus
( Prunner , 1798)
Underside of the wing of the light alpine blue

The light alpine blue ( Plebejus orbitulus , often incorrectly spelled Plebeius orbitulus ) is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of the blue (Lycaenidae).

features

butterfly

The moths reach a wingspan of about 21 to 25 millimeters. The upper sides of the wings are pale cobalt blue in the males, brown in the females, but often more or less blue-pollinated in the basal region . The forewings end very pointedly at the apex . Both sexes can be clearly assigned by conspicuous white spots on the otherwise pale gray-brown underside of the wing.

Egg, caterpillar, pupa

The egg is pure white and has a honeycomb structure on the surface. The adult caterpillars are green in color, have a darker topline and short, whitish hair. The doll is colored green and has very short, brownish hair on the back.

Occurrence

The light alpine blue occurs in the Central European Alps , in Norway , Sweden and the Southern Urals , in the Alps at altitudes between 1000 and 2700 meters, in Norway and Sweden in areas between 800 and 1200 meters.

Way of life

The moths fly in one generation, in the Alps in July and August and in the Nordic countries in June and July. They are mainly found on steep, flower-rich slopes, often very locally on short grassy areas between scree and rocks. The caterpillars feed on alpine tragacanth ( Astragalus alpinus ) or glacier tragacanth ( Astragalus frigidus ). The young caterpillars overwinter.

Hazard and protection

In Germany, the species occurs only in the Bavarian Alps, which is why it is classified in category R (species with geographical restriction) on the Red List of Endangered Species .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 2: Butterflies. (Rhopalocera and Hesperiidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1955, DNB 456642188 .
  2. ↑ Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7 , p. 93 .
  3. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7 .
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 2: Butterflies. (Rhopalocera and Hesperiidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1955, DNB 456642188 .

Web links

Commons : Heller Alpenbläuling ( Agriades orbitulus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files