Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 14.iv.2024

Plebejus idas / Idas Blue
Idas blu
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae

Plebejus idas (Linnaeus, 1761). TL: Sweden.

1a. Plebejus idas, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Plebejus idas ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Plebejus idas ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 14-16 mm.
No tibial spines on front legs (not easy to see in the field even with a magnifying lens)
Ups: bright blue gc, narrow black borders.
Uns: uniform pale grey gc, inconspicuous white band between postdiscal and submarginal markings, small ocelli with inconsipicuous white rings.
Unh: bright orange submarginal band.
Male genitalia distinctive.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: brown gc, basal blue flush not constant.
Uns: pale brown, extensive bright orange marginal bands.

Similar species

Plebejus argus Size:slightlly smaller butterfly. Foreleg: strong spine on fore-tibia (not easy to see in the field even with a magnifying lens) Ups: wide blackmarginal border. Uph: black along the costa. Unf: reduced or faint pale orange sm lunules in a rather regular band. Unh: black sm spots with blue-green pupils. Plebejus argyrognomon Foreleg: no tibial spines on front legs (not easy to see in the field even with a magnifying lens) Size:slightly 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:slightly 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 May to August.
Egg: overwintering on the food plant near to the ground.
Caterpillar: 50-61 days.
Pupa: 14-21 days.

Habitat
Plebejus idas inhabits dry rough grasslands in scattered shrubs from 300 up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density low.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Helianthemum nummularium,  Lotus sp., Hippophae rhamnoides and Genista sp.
Butterflies feed on small flowers.

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, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Plebejus idas 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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