Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Plebejus argus / Silver-studded Blue
Kaltëroshja argus
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae

Plebejus argus (Linnaeus, 1758). TL: S. Sweden.

1a. Plebejus argus, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Plebejus argus copula. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Plebejus argus ♂ upperside. Qafe Buni i Thorës, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Plebejus argus ♀ upperside. Qafe Buni i Thorës, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Plebejus argus ♂ with open wings, mud-puddling between other Lycaenidae. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Plebejus argus ♂ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 12-15 mm.
Tibial spines on front legs (not easy to see in the field even with a magnifying lens)
Ups: deep blue gc, broad black marginal border.
Uph: small black marginal spots between the veins.
Uns: not fully uniform greyish blue gc.
Unh: prominent white band between postdiscal and submarginal markings, large ocelli with consipicuous white rings, pale orange submarginal band, antemarginal black spots with shining green pupils.
Male genitalia distinctive.
♀♀
Similar size, sometimes smaller.
Ups: brown gc, sometimes basal blue suffusion.
Uph: variable orange submarginal lunules (can be absent)
Uns: brownish gc.
Unh: prominent white band between postdiscal spots and submarginal markings.

Similar species

Plebejus argyrgnomon and Plebejus idas No tibial spines on front legs (not easy to see in the field even with a magnifying lens) Plebejus idas Size:slightly larger. Ups: smaller black marginal border. Uph: blue along the costa. Uph: ♂♂ row of contiguous triangular spots. Unf: complete pale orange submarginal band. Unh: sagittate black V-marks. Unh: black sm spots with blue-green pupils. Plebejus argyrognomon Size:larger. Upf: small black marginal border. Uph: ♂♂ distinct separated points. Uns: uniform gc. ♂♂ with bluish tint. Unf: complete pale orange submarginal band. Unh: gently curved black V-marks. Unh: black sm spots with blue-green pupils. Kretania sephirus Size:larger. Upf: narrow black marginal line. Upf: ♂♂ small black antemarginal spot(s) Upf: ♀♀ orange sm lunules with black spot. Unh: black submarginal spots lacking blue-green pupils (!!! very rarely one or two blue pupils)

Life cycle
Adults: two generations from second half of April to September.
Egg: overwintering on the foodplant near to the ground.
Caterpillar: 65-75 days.
Pupa: 13-20 days.

Habitat
Plebejus argus inhabits a variety of dry to damp habitats in calcarous grassy banks, heaths and rough places in mostly limestone areas from lowland up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement very modest, population density often high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on different plant families: Fabaceae, Ericaceae and Cistaceae. Often cited are Helianthemum nummularium, Lotus corniculatus and Securigera varia
Butterflies feed on small flowers, often on foodplants of the caterpillar, mud-puddling.

Distribution
Albania: widespread.
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
Plebejus argus 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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