Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Phengaris alcon / Alcon Blue
Kaltëroshja e vogël e kënetës
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae

Phengaris alcon ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). TL: Vienna.

1a. Phengaris alcon, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Phengaris alcon ♂ underside. Bulgaria (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Phengaris alcon eggs on Gentiana cruciata. Valikardhë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Phengaris alcon egg, focus stack. BIH (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Phengaris alcon ♀ on Gentiana cruciata. Theti to Valbonë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 17-19 mm.
Ups: dull blue gc, relatively narrow black border, unmarked.
Upf: small discal spot (not always present)
Uns: light grey-brown gc, small or absent pale flush, small grey marginal markings.
Unf: discal spot, curved row of postdiscal spots.
Unh: sometimes with basal spots, small if present.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups:heavily suffused grey-brown, blue basal flush.
Upf: discal spot.
Uns: similar as ♂♂.

Similar species

Phengaris arion Size: similar or slightly larger. Upf: elongated black pd spots. Upf: variable and often large black-grey border. Uph: variable black discal and pd spots. Unf: small cell-spot. Unf: strong and lightly elongated pd spots. Unf: two lines of marginal grey-black spots. Unh: blue basal flush reaching discal spot. Unh: two lines of marginal black spots.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to July/early August.
Egg: 7-11 days.
Caterpillar: short feeding period on the fooplant (1-2 weeks), overwintering in ants nest, feeding again in spring in the ants nest.
Pupa: 22 days.

Habitat
Phengaris alcon inhabits damp limestone grasslands with scattered bushes and trees and flowering foodplants from 500 m up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement very modest, many eggs can be found on a single Gentiana plant.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Genitana cruciata before living in an ants nest.
Butterflies are rarely seen feeding.

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 (including forma rebeli)
Local in Asia Minor, Transcaucasia and Caucasus.

Conservation status
Phengaris alcon is not endangered but small habitats can easily be destroyed by overgrazing and forestry management.
Albanian Red Llst: VU D1D2.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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