Pseudophilotes vicrama

BUTTERFLY INFO

Pseudophilotes vicrama is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Pseudophilotes vicrama (Moore, 1865)

Common name

Eastern Baton Blue

Classification

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

Wingspan

Male to female: 20-25 mm

Appearance

The male butterfly is blue with a broad border, while the female is brown. Both sexes have white fringes, with dark brown marks at veins.

In particular, the upper side of the forewing of the male is blue with small black markings at the end of the cell.

The underside is grey with black marks forming a nearly straight row in the submarginal area, a curved one in the postdiscal area, and there are also two marks in the cell.

Both sides of the hindwing are respectively similar to the forewing’s; there are just additional orange marks in the submarginal area.

Behavior

It flies rapidly low to the ground.

Habitat

Pseudophilotes vicrama in Crete live in fields, mountains in dense shrubland, seaside, nutrient-poor grasslands, sandy areas, and phrygana.

Food plant

The larva feeds on Labiatae, i.e. Thymbra capitata.

Flight period

The butterflies fly in 2 generations per year.

Remarks

The butterfly is easily distinguished from Polyommatus icarus because both sexes of Pseudophilotes vicrama, have white fringes, with dark brown marks at veins, more distinctive and large markings, and are smaller in size.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*Red List Greece, 2024)