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Cupido osiris / Osiris Blue
E Blujta e Osirit
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae
Cupido osiris (Meigen, [1829]). TL: not stated.
 
 
1a. Cupido osiris, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Cupido osiris ♂ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Cupido osiris ♂ underside. Mali i Roskit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Cupido osiris ♂ underside, mud-puddling. Skenderbej, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 12-15 mm.
Ups: violet blue gc, unmarked, narrow black marginal lines.
Uns: pale grey gc, markings as in Cupido minimus but more basal blue flush.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: dark brown-black gc, sometimes with blue basal flush or scales.
Unf: postdiscal spots in an almost straight line.
Similar species
Life cycle
Adults: single generation, sometimes a partial second generation, from April to August.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as prepupa.
Pupa: probably short stage.
Habitat
Cupido osiris inhabits open flowery meadows on rocky slopes, near shrubs from lowland up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Onobrychis sp., also mentioned are Colutea arborescens and Lathyrus linifolius.
Butterflies feed on small flowers, mud-puddling.
Distribution
Albania: widespread in the Northern Albanian Alps, local in other mountain areas.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB* - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU*
Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Cupido osiris is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU B2a.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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sligthly smaller.
no tail.
dark brown-black gc.
♂♂ silver-blue scales, none in ♀♀.
less elongated discal spot.