Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 16.ii.2024

Lysandra coridon / Chalck-hill Blue
Kaltëroshja e argjendë
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae

Lysandra coridon (Poda, 1761). TL: Graz, Austria.

1a. Lysandra coridon, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Lysandra coridon copula. Llogora, Albania (© Ward Hendrix)
1c. Habitat of Lysandra coridon. Valikardhë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Lysandra coridon ♀ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Lysandra coridon ♀ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Lysandra coridon ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂Small butterfly. Fw: 15-18 mm.
Ups: pale silvery blue gc, fringes distinctly white-black chequered.
Upf: broad fuscous marginal border.
Uph: small marginal border, round antemarginal spots.
Unf: pale grey gc, standard markings.
Unh: pale grey-brown gc, slight green-blue basal flush, markings sometimes small and incomplete, small orange submarkginal lunules.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: brown gc, fringes pale brown and dark brown chequered.
Upf and uph: smaller or lacking orange submarginal lunules. Rarely with pale blue suffusion (blue forms exist)
Uns: dark brown gc, small orange submarkginal lunules, similar markings as ♂♂.

Similar species

Other Polyommatus: no checkered fringes. Lysandra bellargus Size: similar. checkered fringes. Ups: ♂♂ sky blue gc. Ups: brown gc, often blue basal suffusion. Upf: fine black marginal lines. Uns: ♂♂ homogeneous light grey brown gc. Uns: ♀♀ homogeneous brown gc. Unf: cell-spot. Unh: conspicuous orange sm lunules.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from late June to September, long life span.
Egg: overwintering on the foodplant near the ground (26-34 weeks)
Caterpillar: 105-132 days.
Pupa: 21-32 days.

Habitat
Lysandra coridon inhabits dry, sunexposed grassland with scattered bushes on limestone slopes from 500 up to 2100 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high, rarely nomadic.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Hippocrepis comosa and Securigera varia.
Butterflies feed on all kinds of low and higher flowers.

Distribution
Albania: widespread in the mountains.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK* - SCA - EEU
Extending to southern hills of Ural Mt. Sibling species in Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Lysandra coridon is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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