
Celastrina argiolus, Crete - photo © Ch. Almpantakis
Celastrina argiolus
BUTTERFLY INFO
Celastrina argiolus is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae on the island of Crete, Greece.
Scientific name
Celastrina argiolus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name
Holly Blue
Classification
Family: Lycaenidae > Subfamily: Polyommatinae > Tribus: Polyommatini > Genus: Celastrina
Wingspan
Male to female: 30-35 mm
Appearance
It is a small blue butterfly when seen with open wings and pale grey-blue, or silver-blue with small black spots underwing.
The female differs from the male; it has both wings broadly black-bordered, and the margin of the hindwing is bearing vestiges of ocelli.
Behavior
The butterfly flies very fast and rarely opens the wings when still. It is usually observed to fly high rather than low to the ground.
Habitat
Celastrina argiolus in Crete can be found in olive groves, vineyards, small clearings, mixed forests, and scrub.
Food plant
The larva feeds on Ericaceae, Rhamnaceae, and Rosaceae (Rubus sanctus).
Flight Period
The butterfly flies in at least 2 generations per year.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Remarks
The butterfly has a unique appearance in Crete and can’t be confused with other Lycaenidae species of the island.
Status*
Least Concern
Celastrina Argiolus Distribution Map
