|
Tarucus balkanica / Little Tiger Blue
Ballkanja
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae
Tarucus balkanica (Freyer [1843]). TL: Turkey.
 
  
1a. Tarucus balkanica, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Tarucus balkanica ♂ underside. Albania (© Eddy Oorthuysen)
1c. Habitat of Tarucus balkanica with scattered Paliurus spina-christi bushes. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Tarucus balkanica ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Tarucus balkanica ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 9-11 mm.
Ups: lilac-blue gc, dark marginal borders.
Upf: conspicuous dark discal and postdiscal dots.
Uph: black veins, sometimes black discal line and obscure dark submarginal spots.
Unh: white gc, black lines and dots on fw and hw.
Unh: shining sliver-blue submarginal ocelli with variable black ring.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups: darker brown gc, basal bluish flush, bolder dots.
Uns: slightly more yellowish-white gc, otherwise similar.
Similar species
None.
Life cycle
Adults: overlapping generations from second half of April to September.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: probably short stage.
Pupa: probably overwintering stage.
Habitat
Tarucus balkanica inhabits hot, arid stony grasslands, pastures in the vicinity of Paliuris spina-christi bushes from lowland up to 1000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement very modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Paliuris spina-christi, also mentioned are Ziziphus jujuba and Ziziphus lotus.
Butterflies feed on nearby available lower flowers.
Distribution
Albania: local (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Tarucus balkanica is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU B2a.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
|
xx
xx 
