Tomares ballus
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Tomares ballus , underside |
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| ( Fabricius , 1787) |
TOMARES BALLUS is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Gossamer (Lycaenidae).
description
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 25 to 30 millimeters. They show a clear sexual dimorphism . The upper sides of the forewings of the males are dark brown, sometimes with a light purple shimmer. The upper side of the wing of the females, however, is predominantly orange and only in the basal region and at the edges is dark brown. The undersides of the forewings are orange or yellow-brown in color, from which there are many black spots. The undersides of the hind wings are almost monochrome green to blue-green in color.
Similar species
The Green Hairstreak ( Callophrys rubi ) and Callophrys avis differ significantly in that the undersides of the forewings are almost monochrome green.
distribution and habitat
Tomares ballus occurs in southern Spain , Portugal and France, as well as in North Africa . The animals were detected at altitudes of 1700 meters above sea level. The subspecies Tomares ballus cyrenaica can be found in Tunisia and Libya . The species prefers to live on dry meadows and slopes with short grass.
Way of life
The moths form one generation per year, which can be found from January to May. Due to the early flight time with the risk of night frosts, the moths sometimes warm themselves in the morning sun with closed wings lying on their side on stones. As a food plant of the caterpillars are screw clovers ( Medicago ), for example, black medic ( Medicago lupulina ), Medicago minima ( Medicago minima ), Medicago littoralis , Medicago truncatula and Medicago turbinata mentioned. It can be assumed that they live in symbiosis with ants (Formicidae). The pupae overwinter.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and North West Africa , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7
- ↑ Distribution http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/lycaenidae/theclinae/tomares/index.html#ballus
literature
- Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. - Taxonomy and photos
- Provence Hairstreak Photos
- Tomares ballus at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved October 10, 2013