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Cupido decolorata / Eastern Short-tailed Blue
Ezbardhëllemja
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae
Cupido decolorata (Staudinger, 1886). TL: Vienna, Hungary, Bulgaria.
 
  
1a. Cupido decolorata, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Cupido decolorata ♂ upperside. Romania (© Tom Kristensen)
1c. Habitat of Cupido decolorata. Romania (© Tom Kristensen)
1d. Cupido decolorata ♂ lateral. Romania (© Tom Kristensen)
1e. Cupido decolorata ♂ underside. Romania (© Tom Kristensen)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 12-13 mm.
Ups: dusky blue gc, wide marginal black border extending along the veins.
Hw: short tail at v2.
Upf: black discal spot.
Uns: very pale grey gc, small spots in the usual pattern.
Unf: rather strong discal line, spot in s2 of posdiscal series slightly displaced towards the base.
Unh: no orange lunule.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: black gc, unmarked.
Uns: similar as ♂♂.
Similar species
Life cycle
Adults: two to three generations from May to August.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: probably overwintering as full grown larva.
Pupa: probably short stage.
Habitat
Cupido decolorata inhabits open flowery meadows in rocky slopes from sea level up to 1200 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement low, population density low.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Medicago sp., Vicia sp., Trifolium pratense has also been mentioned.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: few records (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Local in Turkey (W. Konya)
Conservation status
Cupido decolorata is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: DD.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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tail.
weak or absent black discal spot.
small, well defined marginal border.
weak black spot and lunule.
conspicuous orange dots (2 or 3)
strong black dots bordering orange spots.