Lang's Short-tailed Blue (leptotes pirithous)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 6341_male_Var_3Jun07 | 5613_female_Var_21May07 | 9388_female?_Var_30Aug07 |
Before 2006 I had only seen pirithous in odd ones and twos, mostly in Var but also in Ariege in the Pyrenees. However, spending the whole of September 2006 (and 2007) in the southern part of Var, I was amazed at the numbers - there seemed to be one every few metres in places. They seemed to be more common on cultivated flowers, especially in gardens, than in the wild. As the numbers seemed to build up very quickly in mid-September and many seemed quite worn, it suggested that this was the result of migration rather than an emergence. However, in 2007 many appeared very fresh, so I'm fairly sure there is a second brood. They can be quite sedentary when feeding, so can easily be missed. Also the rather indistinct underside markings (photos always seem to appear slightly out of focus) make it hard to spot, relieved only by the two magnificent unh spots - the silver edging is more visible in the enlarged photo (click to enlarge). I also think it's mis-named as the tails are actually not short at all.
The male upperside is rather dull by comparison to its more illustrious cousins, and lacks the upf markings of the female which, as is usual for blues, is brown with a limited number of blue scales in the basal area.
6341: this male is puddling, not something I have often seen pirithous do. The underside is better contrasted than most. The two unh marginal spots are clearly visible, with the magnificent circles of silver scales and orange exteriors. Altitude 200m.
5613: this female is quite dull even by the standards of the upperside of this rather drab butterfly, but this could be the result of age rather than the lack of original blue scales. Altitude 185m.
9388: I believe this to be a female based on body shape, but am not totally convinced. Altitude 780m.
