Here is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae
polyommatinae family, a rather small specimen type called Blues and Weak Blues.
They are actually named differently depending on what the caterpillar eats – Plantain
Blue, Geranium Blue, Stonecrop Blue, Orobe Blue, Vetch blue, etc.
The top of the male is of a metallic blue fringed with white, as opposed
to the female who is brown with a line of orange dots though with the same white
border.
It eats legumes (clovers, lotuses, lucernes…) from prairies, lawns and
uncut roadsides. It hibernates at the bottom of plants amidst the vegetative
debris. It flies in June and July in colder regions in 2 or 3 generations; and
from May to October in warmer regions.
The small and squat
caterpillar has a black, retractable head, a green body with dark dorsal line,
and a whiteish line on its flank.
Its antennas are beautifully striped.
13/08/2012 Sous La Grande Vache à 1500m
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