Mazarine Blue

Cyaniris semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775) ssp. semiargus

Status

Description

A small butterfly, with a pale grey-brown underside, with a series of postdiscal black spots on both wings, and no submarginal markings. The male upperside is a dull violet blue with black veins, and the female is brown. The underside is distinctive, with no known similar species in Corfu. 

Habitat Requirements

Actively used mountain pasture and rocky areas.

Larval Foodplants

Trifolium physodes, Red Clover Trifolium pratense.

Observations

In the UK this species was lost from the national butterfly species list when agricultural practices changed and so the butterfly's clover rich habitats were removed.

In Corfu, Dan Danahar was the first of the CBC members to observe this species on 30th May 2019, in the nature reserve below the summit of Mt Pantokrator. Since this time, Anne Sordinas has further investigated the area and has found the species to be most abundant in small meadows grazed by livestock (cattle). Consequently, this could be a species that has a restricted distribution because it is tied to the pastoral activities of humans.

*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Mazarine Blue submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.

First and Last Sightings

Year First Last/latest # Days
2023 13/05/2023 09/06/2023 27 days
2022 02/05/2022 30/05/2022 28 days
2021 08/05/2021 02/06/2021 25 days

Number of Observations

Year Number of observations
2023 17
2022 42
2021 46
Grand Total 105

Distribution Map

Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.

Flight Times for the Mazarine Blue (2023)

The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023

Flight Times for the Mazarine Blue (All Data)

The chart below shows flight data by month since 1st January 2021

Taxonomy

  • Vernacular/Common Name: Mazarine Blue
  • Family: Lycaenidae (Leach, 1815)
  • Sub-family: Polyommatinae (Swainson 1831)
  • Tribe: Polyommatini (Swainson 1831)
  • Sub-tribe: Polyommatina (Swainson 1831)
  • Genus: Cyaniris (Dalman, 1816)
  • Species: semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775)

References

For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.