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Iolana iolas / Iolas Blue
Kaltëroshja e madhe
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae
Iolana iolas (Ochsenheimer, 1816). TL: Hungary.
 
 
 
 
  
1a. Iolana iolas, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Iolana iolas ♀ lateral. Gurshpatë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Iolana iolas ♀ upperside. Librazdh-Qarrishtë, Albania (© Theo Garrevoet)
1d. Iolana iolas ♀ underside. Librazdh-Qarrishtë, Albania (© Theo Garrevoet)
1e. Iolana iolas ♂ underside. Menik, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Iolana iolas ♀ underside. Librazdh-Qarrishtë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Habitat of Iolana iolas. Bajram Curri, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1h. Habitat of Iolana iolas. Librazdh-Qarrishtë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1i. Colutea arborescens with pods, foodplant of Iolana iolas. Gurshpatë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1j. Flowering Colutea arborescens, foodplant of Iolana iolas. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1k. Iolana iolas caterpillar in an opened bud. North of Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 18-21 mm. The largest Lycaenidae species in the Balkan peninsula.
Ups: bright violet blue gc, narrow black marginal border, unmarked.
Uns: pale grey, narrow discal line, complete series of postdiscal spots close to and parallel with outher margin, poorly marked antemarginal grey lunules.
Unh: small blue basal flush, black basal spoits, narrow discal line and series of postdiscal spots, poorly marked antemarginal grey lunules.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups: darker blue gc, wide fuscous marginal border sometimes extending almost to the base of upf and uph, conspicuous black veins.
Uns: similar as ♂♂.
Similar species
Life cycle
Adults: single generation, sometimes a partial second generation, from April to August (depending on altitude)
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: short stage, developing inside the pod of Colutea arborescens.
Pupa: overwintering.
2. Iolana iolas caterpillar inside a pod of Colutea arborescens. Lojme, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Habitat
Iolana iolas inhabits hot, rocky places with shrrub and widespread Colutea arborescens bushes from lowland up to above 1000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement is high, population density modest.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Colutea arborescens.
Butterflies mainly seen nectaring on the foodplants of the caterpillars.
Distribution
Albania: local.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP* - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Lebanon, S.E. Transcaucasia and further east.
Conservation status
Iolana iolas is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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♂♂ blue gc (♀♀ very variable)
1-2 mm wide marginal border.
curved line pd spots.
different size of spots.
large blue suffusion.