Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 20.xii.2023

Cacyrius marshalli / Geranium Bronze
Bronzta e geraniumeve
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae

Cacyreus marshalli Butler, 1898. TL: S. Africa.

1a. Cacyreus marshalli, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Cacyreus marshalli. Tirana, Albania (© Anila Paparisto)
1c. Cacyreus marshalli. Tirana, Albania (© Anila Paparisto)
1d. Cacyreus marshalli. Tirana, Albania (© Anila Paparisto)
1e. Cacyreus marshalli. Tirana, Albania (© Anila Paparisto)
1f. Cacyreus marshalli. Mjede, Vau-Dejes, Albania (© Marko Prendi)
1g. Cacyreus marshalli caterpillars. Mjede, Vau-Dejes, Albania (© Marko Prendi)

Note
Introduced from South Africa to Mallorca on infested Pelargonium around 1990, followed by a rapid spread to the Spanish mainland and to the Mediterranean Basin, since then also expanding eastwards and reaching the whole Balkan peninsula.

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 12-13 mm.
Ups: dark brown gc, strongly chequered fringes, not marked.
Uph: tail near anal angle and one black eye-spot with pale border towards the base.
Uns: grey-brownish gc, dark brown discal band and less conspicuous eye-spot.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups and uns similar.

Similar species
None.

Life cycle
Adults: continuous generations from March to November.
Egg: 4-6 days.
Caterpillar: 22-33 days, overwintering inside stems of Pelargonium.
Pupa: 9-13 days.

Habitat
Cacyreus marshalli inhabits parks, gardens on ornemental Pelargonium, mostly in lowland but has been recorded above 1000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement low, population density can be high, nomadic, sometimes observed far from human settlements.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed almost exclusively on Pelargonium sp., also Geranium sp. have been mentioned.
Butterflies feed on Pelargonium and other ornamental flowers.

Distribution
Albania: present, few occurences.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE* - UK* - SCA* - EEU
Since its accidental introduction around 1990 on Majorca (Spain) the species is expanding its range and has reached Asia Minor and the, Near East.

Conservation status
Cacyreus marshalli is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NA.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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