Zizeeria karsandra

BUTTERFLY INFO

Zizeeria karsandra is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Zizeeria karsandra (Moore, 1865)

Common name

Dark Grass Blue

Classification

Family: Lycaenidae > Subfamily: Polyommatinae > Tribus: Polyommatini > Genus: Zizeeria

Wingspan

Male to female: 15-20 mm

Appearance

On the forewing, the upper side of the male is dark blue with a wide dark brown band in the submarginal area. The underside is light brown-grey colored with a black mark in the cell, a black mark at the end of the cell, and several black marks in the submarginal area forming a regular row. Both sides of the hindwing are similar to the forewing ones.

The female is usually larger than the male with brown colors on the upper side, but with extra dark blue shades in the basal and discal area.

Behavior

In autumn, Zizeeria karsandra flies low over the waste ground in urban areas, utterly dry and dusty with only sparse dispersed vegetation.

Habitat

Zizeeria karsandra in Crete lives in fields near the sea, wetlands, open scrub, and generally in various types of habitats in more open landscapes.

Food plant

The larva feeds on Polygonaceae (Polygonum sp), Amaranthaceae, Boraginaceae (Heliotropium supinum), and Oxalidaceae.

Flight period

Remarks

Zizeeria karsandra is widespread from North Africa to India and South East Asia, Malta, Sicily, Rhodes, and Cyprus. It has a limited distribution in Greece and is found in Crete and Rhodes.

Because of the destruction of the habitats on the island of Crete, the butterfly population is vulnerable.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*Red List Greece, 2024)