Lycaena euripilus [1] ( lat. Kretania eurypilus ) is a diurnal butterfly from the family Lycaenidae .
| Polyommatus euripilus |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Subtype : | Tracheo-breathing |
| Infraclass : | Winged insects |
| Treasure : | Fully Transformed Insects |
| Squadron : | Amphiesmenoptera |
| Infrastructure : | Butterflies |
| Treasure : | Double-breasted |
| View: | Polyommatus euripilus |
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| International scientific name |
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Kretania eurypilus ( Freyer , [1851]) |
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Content
Euriphilus ( Greek mythology ) is the king of Ormenion in Thessaly , one of the bravest participants in the Trojan War .
Fore wing length 11-14 mm. Wingspan 24β27 mm. The wings of the male on the upper side, unlike all other species of the genus, are colored not brown, but brown. The upper side of the wings is dark brownish-gray, with a weak sheen. The border of the wings is blackish. Hind wings with blackish spots separated by white stripes from the marginal border. The fringe is two-tone - gray and grayish-white. The background color of the underside of the wings is light gray. Black spots are bordered by thin white rings. Wells of the marginal row are not large, pale orange in color. Sexual dimorphism is weak. In females, the pattern on the underside of the wings is sharper and larger, and the orange sickle-shaped spots on the top and bottom are brighter and wider.
Northwest Caucasus , Armenia , Georgia , Azerbaijan , Asia Minor . Butterflies inhabit mountain slopes covered with tragacanth astragalas at an altitude of up to 1700 meters above sea level, as well as arid mountain slopes of the southern or southeastern exposure.
Develops in one generation in a year. The flight time of butterflies is from mid-May to June-mid-July. Fly low above the ground. Butterflies feed on nectar of herbaceous plants. Sometimes there is a territorial behavior of males that protect individual bushes of prickly astragalus. Females lay eggs in pieces on the upper side of the leaves of young astragalus . A female can lay about 40 eggs. Caterpillars of the first age overwinter. Caterpillars feed on young leaves that have not yet opened, completely gnawing at the growth point. Caterpillars - myrmecophiles - are taken care of by ants from the genus Camponotus ( Camponotus kiesenwetteri ). The pupal stage lasts 2-3 weeks.
