Idas blue

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Idas blue
Idas blue (Plebejus idas) ♂

Idas blue ( Plebejus idas ) ♂

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Bluebirds (Lycaenidae)
Subfamily : Polyommatinae
Genre : Plebeian
Type : Idas blue
Scientific name
Plebeius idas
( Linnaeus , 1761)
male
Female sunbathing in the evening

The PLEBEJUS IDAS ( plebe j us idas or outdated plebe i us idas ; the spelling see), and broom-Bluebird called, is a butterfly from the family of Gossamer (Lycaenidae) extending from Europe to the Middle East to the interior of Asia and is widespread in North America. It belongs to the group of silver-flecked blues , which are characterized by metallic spots on the underside of the rear wing.

description

butterfly

The nominate form Plebejus idas idas has a fore wing length of 14 to 16 millimeters. The upper side of the males has a strong metallic blue sheen. A black band runs along the edge of the wing, sometimes forming a series of black spots on the outer edge of the hind wing. The top of the females is dark brown and sometimes pollinated blue from the base. On the outer edge of the wing, especially on the hind wings, more rarely on the forewings, an orange band like on the underside of the wing can only be seen without black spots. The undersides of the wings of both sexes are light (males light gray, females light brown) with white-rimmed black spots. In the submarginal region there is a wavy orange band that surrounds black spots. These spots have blue-metallic shimmering scales on the hind wings .

The form P. idas f. opulentus is drawn richly in contrast on the underside and is larger than the nominate form, while f. haefelfingeri is smaller than the nominate form and its males are more intensely blue on the upper side. The small form lapponicus , similar to haefelfingeri, has females whose brown upper sides are often blue-pollinated and whose orange spots on the hind wings are stunted.

The blue Idas can easily be confused with other blue silver spots. A genital examination is often necessary to reliably differentiate these species . The black border of the forewings is usually narrower in the males than in the blue-goose clover ( Plebejus argus ). The blue-colored Idas lacks the short spine on the tibia of the front legs that the blue-goose clover possesses.

Characteristics of the subspecies

  • P. idas magnagraeca has large moths, the males are sometimes tinged purple with black veins and a relatively wide black border (2–3 mm). The orange spots on the hind wings of the females are well developed, sometimes also on the fore wings. The drawing on the underside is strong.
  • P. idas nevadensis has moths similar to magnagraeca , but on average smaller.
  • In P. idas bellieri , the black border in the males on Corsica varies between one and two millimeters and on Sardinia between two and three millimeters. The underside is yellowish or brownish gray. The top of the females is dark brown with heavy blue pollination at the base of the wing.
  • P. idas anna has whitish wing undersides with very small or missing orange spots and small black spots. In the field, the moths often cannot be distinguished from other P. idas subspecies.
  • P. idas lotis is similar to P. idas anna , but the small orange spots are always present.
  • P. idas atrapraetextus is similar to Plebejus melissa , but has a bluish white underside of the wing and the orange spots are slightly smaller.
  • P. idas scudderi has small orange spots, but the black spots are normal size. In Alaska, the tops of the females are often more heavily pollinated.
  • P. idas empetri is similar to scudderi with the difference that the spots on the underside are large and black.

Pre-imaginal stages

The egg is whitish-green. The velvety hairy caterpillar has a black head, is usually green or red-brown and rarely gray. A dark brown or red line with a light border runs on the back; a red-brown stigma stripe on each side . There are white diagonal stripes between the stripes on the sides. The belt doll is initially green and later turns light brown with red-brown spots on the head and the segment incisions.

Similar species

Comparison of the front legs of P. idas and P. argus .
  • The plebejus argyrognomon ( Plebejus argyrognomon ) arrives in Europe and Asia, and can be distinguished only by a genital examination from PLEBEJUS IDAS.
  • The blue goat clover ( Plebejus argus ) occurs in Europe and has a small thorn on the tibia of the forelegs, which can only be seen with a magnifying glass.
  • Plebejus melissa occurs in North America. The orange band on the underside is continuous in contrast to the Plebejus idas subspecies found there, in which this is usually broken up into individual spots. A genital examination can make a clear diagnosis, but not a genetic examination, as both species are still too closely related.

Habitat and Distribution

The habitats of the Idas bluebell in Europe are basic poor grasslands (limestone areas) and acidic grasslands (heathland areas). In North America it occurs in forest clearings, on meadows and on the tundra .

Plebejus idas is widespread from Europe through the Middle East to the interior of Asia and in North America. In Spain the butterfly is only partially represented ( Sierra Nevada , Montes Universales , Soria , Burgos , Cantabrian Mountains , Pyrenees and Catalonia ). It can be found nationwide from France, westward to northern Scandinavia and in the south to central Italy and on the Balkans to northern Greece. There are larger gaps in north-east France, Benelux and Germany. The species is absent from the British and Mediterranean islands with the exception of Sardinia and Corsica . The altitude distribution in Europe ranges from 200 to 2100 meters. The form lapponicus occurs in northern Scandinavia. In the Alps and Pyrenees flies below 1000 meters altitude f. opulentus . Between 1000 and 1500 meters flies in both mountains f. alpinus , which is a transitional form to f. haefelfingeri , which occurs only in the Central Alps.

In North America, Plebejus idas occurs from Alaska across southern Canada (south of Hudson Bay ) and west to Newfoundland. The southern distribution ends north of the Great Lakes , only in the Rocky Mountains and in California the species occurs further south.

P. idas calliopis occurs in France in the departments Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes at 500–1000 meters. P. idas magnagraeca is widespread in Macedonia , Bulgaria, northern and central Greece, but only locally and at altitudes of 500 to 1800 meters. The subspecies flies in one generation from June to July between bushes on flowery, open grass areas or in light forests. At higher altitudes over 1500 meters, the habitats are dry slopes on acidic or calcareous soils. The subspecies nevadensis is described from the Spanish Sierra Nevada, where it occurs from an altitude of 1800 meters. P. idas bellieri occurs in Corsica from sea level up to 1400 meters. In Sardinia, the subspecies lives in Monte Limbara and Gennargentu at altitudes between 500 and 1000 meters. The moths live in open areas of maquis or forests.

P. idas anna occurs from California's Sierra Nevada to southwestern British Columbia in Canada. The rare subspecies P. idas lotis occurs in California in Mendocino County and in the Warner Mountains . The distribution of P. idas atrapraetextus extends from Montana to southern Alberta and southeast to Colorado . P. idas scudderi is found from central and southeastern British Columbia north to Alaska and east to Newfoundland, and P. idas empetri is found in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island .

Way of life

Pairing, above ♂, below ♀

butterfly

The moths of both sexes suck nectar from flowers, the males also often suckle on moist places on the ground. The males often patrol their territory and are attracted to blue butterflies. When looking for females, however, they look for butterflies with closed wings that rest upside down, showing the light undersides of the wings with the orange spots. They are much less attracted by butterflies that rest upside down with their wings closed. The males can visually distinguish the females from those of similar species such as Plebejus melissa . This was shown with paper mock-ups that were modeled on P. idas females and dead, but real P. melissa females. When the male has found a suitable female willing to mate, it nudges the passive female with its wings and then lands next to it and quickly flaps its wings. Then the pairing begins. Unresponsive or already mated females try to flee or they flap their wings quickly and bend their abdomen upwards so that copulation cannot take place. The females lay about 90 to 130 eggs individually on the host plants.

Flight time

The Idas blue can be found in Europe from mid-June to mid-August. In the south there is a second generation in favorable, warm years. In the Upper Rhine Plain, it flies in the first generation from the beginning of June to the beginning or mid-July and the second generation from the beginning of August. In some years it flies until the end of September. In Saxony it flies in two generations from mid-June to September, although it is not clear whether there are two generations each year. The subspecies P. idas calliopis flies in one generation in the French Alps from July to August. P. idas bellieri flies in one generation in Corsica and Sardinia from the end of June to July.

In North America, the moths fly in the area from Newfoundland to Labrador from late July to mid-August . In the rest of the distribution area, they fly in one generation from late June to mid-August.

Caterpillars

The caterpillars of the Idas Bluebell hatch in spring after the eggs have been overwintered. The caterpillars are pronounced myrmekophil . Therefore one often finds an ant guard around them. Pupation takes place in the ant nest. P. idas magnagraeca pupates between fallen leaves or on leaves of food plants.

As host ants were black ant ( Lasius niger ), Formica cinerea ( Formica cinerea ), Formica selsyi , Great notch ant ( Formica exsecta ), Formica Lemani , Furchenlippige notch ant ( Formica pressilabris ), Formica lugubris ( Formica lugubris ), Formica cunicularia ( Formica cunicularia ) and Formica lefrancoisi . In P. idas magnagraeca there is a symbiosis with Formica pratensis .

Food plants of the caterpillars

The caterpillars eat legumes and heather plants . For Plebejus idas idas are detected as food plants: Broom ( Sarothamnus scoparius ), Genista pilosa ( Genista pilosa ), trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ), White sweet clover ( Melilotus albus ), Real kidney vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria ), heather ( Calluna vulgaris ). The only surviving population in Baden-Württemberg feeds exclusively on broom, whereby the females prefer patchy to very patchy populations of broom for laying eggs on decalcified sandy areas. The food plants of the caterpillars of P. idas magnagraeca are Genista depressa in the Vernon Mountains and Cytisus villosus in the Rhodopes . P. idas calliopis feeds on sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides ) and is closely related to its occurrence.

In North America there were from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland evidence of food plants Astragalus alpinus ( Astragalus alpinus ), Astragalus whitneyi (with subspecies siskiyouensis ), Lathyrus torreyi , Lathyrus polyphyllus , Lupinus parviflorus , Lotus oblongifolius var. Nevadensis , Vicia exigua and crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum ). Nova Scotia to Minnesota is Sumpfporst ( Ledum palustre ssp. Decumbens) , Kalmia polifolia and Vaccinium cespitosum described.

Systematics

The species was first described by Linné in 1761 as Papilio plebejus idas in the Fauna Suecica using an animal from southern Sweden. The species described by Boisduval in 1836 under calliopis is today the subspecies of the same name.

P. idas was often confused with Plebejus argyrognomon and described under this name. For example , P. argyrognomon described by Vladimir Nabokov in 1949 is P. idas according to today's nomenclature . The frequent mix-ups led to a confusing nomenclature and makes it particularly difficult to make statements about previous occurrences if the specimen copies can no longer be genitalized (genital examination).

Subspecies and forms

Because of local and regional differences, many subspecies and forms have been described. The exact status has not been conclusively clarified for many. There could also be bonae species among the taxa, such as P. idas calliopis , which has a completely different host plant.

Europe:

To form:
  • P. idas opulentus Verity
  • P. idas alpinus Berce
  • P. idas haefelfingeri Beuret , 1935
  • P. idas lapponicus Gerhard , 1853
Subspecies:
  • P. idas calliopis Boisduval , 1832
  • P. idas magnagraeca Verity , 1925
  • P. idas nevadensis Oberthür , 1910
  • P. idas bellieri Oberthür , 1910

North America:

Subspecies:
  • P. idas anna ( Edwards , 1861) is mostly regarded as a separate species ( Plebejus anna , English Anna's Blue).
  • P. idas lotis ( Lintner , 1897)
  • P. idas atrapraetextus ( Field , 1939)
  • P. idas scudderi ( Edwards , 1861)
  • P. idas empetri ( Freeman , 1938)

Danger

In Germany, the Idas-Bläuling is listed in category 2 (endangered) in the Red List of Threatened Species (Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt Red List Category 2, Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony Red List Category 1 (threatened with extinction)). The Red Data Book of European Butterflies rates the existence of Idas bluing in Europe over 25 years (1974–1999) as stable.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg , the Idas-Bläuling only occurs in the area around Karlsruhe , deposits further north (up to Mannheim ) are extinct, as are small occurrences in the lower Illertal and on the eastern Lake Constance . The decrease is due to the loss of sandy areas with broom vegetation, where the broom was removed and reforested with pine trees. In Upper Bavaria the species occurs very locally on river gravel heaps and nutrient-poor fallow land in the Alpine region and Alpine foothills. It can only be found frequently on the Munich gravel plain. In Saxony, the Idas-Bläuling lives on heather areas in the lowlands and is currently only found in northwest Saxony, in the Elbe Valley and Upper Lusatia . Historical finds are known from the Chemnitz area and south-west Saxony. Reports from Schneeberg in Vogtland have meanwhile been identified as Plebejus argus . The species is endangered by succession on the heathland and afforestation. In the USA, the subspecies P. idas lotis is classified by The Nature Conservancy with the rank T1 - Critically imperiled (critically endangered), because the naturally rare subspecies has lost five of its seven known occurrences.

supporting documents

Remarks

  1. ↑ Helge Knüttel remarks that Ole Pellmyr's studies do not prove beyond any doubt that pheromones are also involved in partner choice, as is also quoted by Scott.
  2. ↑ The taxon is classified as a species by Comstock, 1927, and Neitzel & Allen, 1965, as a subspecies by Scott, 1986, and Kaufman, 2006, classifies it as a species again.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Z. Balint, CS Guppy, NG Kondla, K. Johnson and CJ Durden: Plebeius Kluk 1780, or Plebejus Kluk, 1802? Folia entomologica hungarica, 62: 177-184, Budapest 2001
  2. ^ A b Lionel G. Higgins, Norman D. Riley: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . 1st edition. Paul Parey, Hamburg / Berlin 1978, ISBN 3-490-01918-0 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7 , p. 102 .
  4. ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 2: Butterflies. (Rhopalocera and Hesperiidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1955, DNB 456642188 , p. 96.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h James A. Scott: The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California 1986, ISBN 0-8047-1205-0 , page 406.
  6. ↑ a b Helge Knüttel: Flavonoid-induced phenotypic plasticity in the wing coloration of the blueness Polyommatus icarus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its importance for partner selection and species recognition. (PDF; 6.9 MB) January 2003, accessed on September 12, 2009 (German, dissertation).
  7. ↑ Andrea Grill, Paolo Casula, Roberta Lecis, Steph Menken: Endemism in Sardinia . In: Steven Weiss, Nuno Ferrand (Ed.): Phylogeography of southern European refugia: evolutionary perspectives on the origins and conservation of European biodiversity . Springer, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4020-4903-3 , pp. 277 .
  8. ↑ a b R. Reinhardt, H. Sbieschne, J. Settele, U. Fischer, G. Fiedler: Tagfalter von Sachsen. in: B. Klausnitzer, R. Reinhardt (Hrsg.): Contributions to the insect fauna of Saxony, Volume 6. - Entomological news and reports. Supplement 11. Verlag Bernhard Klausnitzer, Dresden 2007, ISSN  0232-5535 , page 292
  9. ↑ Butterfly. 2. Special part: Satyridae, Libytheidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae . In: Günter Ebert, Erwin Rennwald (eds.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 2 . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1991, ISBN 3-8001-3459-4 , pp. 323 .
  10. ↑ R. Reinhardt, H. Sbieschne, J. Settele, U. Fischer, G. Fiedler: Butterflies of Saxony. in: B. Klausnitzer, R. Reinhardt (Hrsg.): Contributions to the insect fauna of Saxony, Volume 6. - Entomological news and reports. Supplement 11. Verlag Bernhard Klausnitzer, Dresden 2007, ISSN  0232-5535 , page 293
  11. ↑ Butterfly. 2. Special part: Satyridae, Libytheidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae . In: Günter Ebert, Erwin Rennwald (eds.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 2 . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1991, ISBN 3-8001-3459-4 , pp. 327 .
  12. ^ Lionel G. Higgins, Norman D. Riley: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . 1st edition. Paul Parey, Hamburg / Berlin 1978, ISBN 3-490-01918-0 , pp. 254 .
  13. ↑ John Adams Comstock: Butterflies of California: a popular guide to a knowledge of the butterflies of California, embracing all of the 477 species and varieties at present recorded for the state . JA Comstock, 1927, pp. 183 .
  14. ↑ Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman: Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America . In: Kenn Kaufman (Ed.): Kaufman Field Guides . Houghton Mifflin, Harcourt 2006, ISBN 978-0-618-76826-4 (391 pages).
  15. ↑ Wilmere Jordon Neitzel, Dorothy Pogge Allen: The flora and fauna of Solano County . Solano County Office of Education, 1965, p. 133 .
  16. ^ Red list of endangered butterflies in Bavaria. In: Red List. Bavarian State Office for the Environment, 2003, accessed on October 8, 2007 .
  17. ↑ Part 1 butterflies. (No longer available online.) In: Rote Liste Baden-Württemberg. State Institute for the Environment, Measurements and Nature Conservation, November 1, 1989, archived from the original on August 28, 2014 ; Retrieved September 28, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.fachdokumente.lubw.baden-wuerttemberg.de
  18. ↑ Ulrich Lobenstein: Red list of the large butterflies endangered in Lower Saxony and Bremen with a list of all species. 2nd version, as of August 1, 2004, Information Service Nature Conservation Lower Saxony 3/2004.
  19. ↑ Chris AM van Swaay & Martin S. Warren: Red Data Book of European Butterflies (Rhopalocera) , Nature and Environment, No. 99, Council of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg, 1999
  20. ↑ Ebert & Rennwald, p. 326
  21. ↑ Markus Schwibinger: Plebeius idas (Idas-Silberfleck-Bläuling). In: The butterflies of Upper Bavaria. Retrieved September 16, 2009 .
  22. ↑ Northern Blue Plebeius idas (Linnaeus, 1761). (No longer available online.) In: Butterflies and Moths of North America. Big Sky Institute at Montana State University, archived from the original on November 17, 2007 ; accessed on September 8, 2009 (English, distribution map for the USA, description and exposure). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.butterfliesandmoths.org

literature

  • LG Higgins, ND Riley: The Butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . Paul Parey Publishing House, Hamburg and Berlin 1978, ISBN 3-490-01918-0 .
  • Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, 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 .
  • Scott, James A .: The butterflies of North America . Stanford University Press, Stanford, California 1986, ISBN 0-8047-1205-0 .
  • Tagfalter II (Augenfalter (Satyridae), Bluebirds (Lycaenidae), Dickkopffalter (Hesperiidae)) . In: Günter Ebert, Erwin Rennwald (eds.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . tape 2 . Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-8001-3459-4 , p. 321 ff .
  • R. Reinhardt, H. Sbieschne, J. Settele, U. Fischer, G. Fiedler: Butterfly of Saxony. In: B. Klausnitzer, R. Reinhardt (Hrsg.): Contributions to the insect fauna of Saxony, Volume 6. - Entomological news and reports. Supplement 11. Verlag Bernhard Klausnitzer, Dresden 2007, ISSN  0232-5535

Web links

Commons : Idas-Bläuling  - album with pictures, videos and audio files