The short-tailed blue or tailed Cupid (''Cupido argiades'') is a
butterfly that forms part of the family
Lycaenidae. It is found from
Europe to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and in India.
Description
The male has a violet upperside, a violet forewing with brown edging, and a violet hindwing with a brown edging of varying length. The wings have black spots, some of which have slight white edging. The tail is black with a white tip. The underside of the wings are white or brownish grey, the markings prominent or very faint. The antennae are black with white speckling on the shafts. The body is brown with a purple flush on fresh specimens.
The female has a dark grey-blue upperside, with black parts and broader edging. The undersides of the wings are like those of the male but with more stark markings. The body is like that of the male but without the purple flush.
Specimens from very dry localities in Upper Burma and from Great Nicobar Island are remarkably small and pale, with the markings on the underside, especially the subtornal ochraceous yellow patch, more or less obsolescent.
Similar species
*Southern short-tailed blue (''
Cupido alcetas
''Cupido alcetas'', the Provençal short-tailed blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the family Lycaenidae.
Etymology
The Latin species name ''alcetas'' refers to Ἄλκηστις (Alcestis), in Greek mythology a princess daughter of Pel ...
'' ), southern Europe
*Eastern short-tailed blue ( ''
Cupido decolorata
'' Cupido decolorata'', the Eastern short-tailed blue, is a small butterfly found in the Palearctic (Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia and the Soviet Union - the European part, the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia ...
'' )
Distribution
In the
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
it is found from north of Spain via
Central Europe,
Southern Europe and
Eastern Europe then east to
Central Asia and Japan. It is missing in much of Italy and the south of Greece and Turkey. The butterfly flies from May to September depending on the location. An isolated population in Southern Armenia
[Butterfly Conservation Armenia http://www.butterfly-conservation-armenia.org/cupido-argiades.html] is on wing starting from late April. In the Oriental region it is found in India.
Habitat
From sea level up to a height of about 1500 meters in meadows, forest edge habitats, woodland clearings and glades but only where there is with flower cover.
Life cycle
The
larva is light green with a dark stripe on the back and dark streaks on the sides, with some brownish and white spots. It feeds on
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
plants, including ''
Lotus uliginosus
''Lotus pedunculatus'' (formerly ''Lotus uliginosus''), the big trefoil, greater bird's-foot-trefoil or marsh bird's-foot trefoil, is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae).
It is a herbaceous perennial growing throughout Europe in damp, open loc ...
''.
''
Lotus corniculatus'', ''
Lotus pedunculatus'', ''
Securigera varia
''Securigera varia'' ( synonym ''Coronilla varia''), commonly known as crownvetch or purple crown vetch, is a low-growing legume vine. It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe and is commonly used throughout the United States and Canada for eros ...
'', ''
Medicago sativa'', ''
Trifolium pratense'', ''
Astragalus glycyphyllos''and''
Ulex europaeus''
The
pupa is the same color as the larva or darker and black-spotted.
See also
*
Lycaenidae
*
List of butterflies of India
*
List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)
References
External links
Butterflies of Europe Vlindernet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q286921
Cupido (butterfly)
Butterflies of Asia
Butterflies of Europe
Butterflies described in 1771
Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas