Mazarine Blue
Encyclopedia
The Mazarine Blue is a butterfly
in the family Lycaenidae
. The wingspan of the male and female are similar, at 32-38 mm.
The Mazarine Blue's population is distributed throughout continental Europe, even reaching into the Arctic Circle
, Asia, the Middle East, and Morocco. There was a large native population in Britain in the early part of the 19th century, which disappeared before the 20th century, though single vagrants have been spotted, and some estimates of British resident extinction are as late as 1906. In 2009, UNESCO
was researching a possible British reintroduction of the Mazarine Blue to Britain.
Recently, the Mazarine Blue's numbers have been declining in European range (particularly Scandinavia
) and the reason currently remains unclear.
The main plant the butterfly feeds off of is Red Clover
and other species of Trifolium. Its habitats are meadows, pastures, grasslands and flowery areas. It seems to prefer places which are not fertilized and not used for fodder production.
The male Mazarine Blue's wings are a deep blue color and are slightly larger in diameter than the female's wings. The female Mazarine Blue is a brown color. In both sexes of the butterfly the Mazarine Blue lack orange markings and have a dark violet or brown body color. The butterfly has been compared to the Common Blue
, and the Grecian
Helena subspecies
which has orange markings. Their flight time is from May to August.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
. The wingspan of the male and female are similar, at 32-38 mm.
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, Asia, the Middle East, and Morocco. There was a large native population in Britain in the early part of the 19th century, which disappeared before the 20th century, though single vagrants have been spotted, and some estimates of British resident extinction are as late as 1906. In 2009, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
was researching a possible British reintroduction of the Mazarine Blue to Britain.
Recently, the Mazarine Blue's numbers have been declining in European range (particularly Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
) and the reason currently remains unclear.
The main plant the butterfly feeds off of is Red Clover
Red clover
Trifolium pratense is a species of clover, native to Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalised in many other regions....
and other species of Trifolium. Its habitats are meadows, pastures, grasslands and flowery areas. It seems to prefer places which are not fertilized and not used for fodder production.
The male Mazarine Blue's wings are a deep blue color and are slightly larger in diameter than the female's wings. The female Mazarine Blue is a brown color. In both sexes of the butterfly the Mazarine Blue lack orange markings and have a dark violet or brown body color. The butterfly has been compared to the Common Blue
Common Blue
The Common Blue is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, widespread over much of the Palaearctic. Recently, Polyommatus icarus was discovered in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada by Ara Sarafian, an amateur entomologist who observed the butterfly from 2005 to 2008...
, and the Grecian
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Helena subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
which has orange markings. Their flight time is from May to August.