Cyaniris semiargus

Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus)

2024 photographs highlighted in yellow. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.


18204_male_Isère_12Jul09	25642_male_Alpes-Maritimes_10Jun11	36342_male_Valais, Switzerland_19Jul14	38221_male_Hautes-Alpes_7Jul15

44157_male_Hautes-Pyrénées_11Jul17	52346_male_Alpes-Maritimes_1Jul24	52384_male_Alpes-Maritimes_1Jul24	7140_female_Var_18Jun07

48413_female_Pyrénées-Orientales_13Jul21	48052_pair_Hautes-Pyrénées_3Jul21	48057_pair_Hautes-Pyrénées_3Jul21	18005_male_Isère_11Jul09

20884_male_Var_20Jun10	33344_male_Hautes-Alpes_3Jul13	32600_female_Var_10Jun13

A butterfly with a very wide altitude range, often being found at 2000m and sometimes considerably higher. It is quite widespread across Europe but usually not more than a few in any one place. The male is a deep strong blue with the veins marked black and with varying-width strong black borders, and the female plain brown with no marginal lunules.

The undersides of both sexes are quite similar: the male is blue-grey to greyish-brown and the female browner, although male undersides can be browner than one might expect. It is slightly larger than the average Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).

ref	sex	observations	alt. m
18204	M	showing the deep blue, especially of the upf, and black veins.	1120
25642	M	*almost identical to 18204, but probably better showing the beautiful deep blue of semiargus.*	1400
36342	M	a male, seen at high altitude, and with limited blue scales compared to the norm, despite being fresh.	2090
38221	M	a male, only slightly darker than the norm, despite the high altitude.	2020
44157	M	a male, with a very deep blue colour.	1600
52346	M	a fairly typical male.	1550
52384	M	a rather unusual male with rather rounded wings and a much paler blue colour than normal. The uph border is quite wide and it could possibly be mistaken for another blue species such as Eros Blue (P. eros).	1550
7140	F	a fresh female upperside, plain dark brown and almost completely unmarked.	780
48413	F	a rather appealing female, fresh it appears, with blue hairs on the body and in the basal region.	1590
48052	PAIR	a mating pair, with another male trying to batter its way in. 48057 features the same pair.	2070
48057	PAIR	the same mating pair as in 48052, after the send male had departed, now looking a little more serene. The fresher female is on the left.	2070
18005	M	a male, the ground colour being brown-grey.	1120
20884	M	quite bluish in ground colour, and with very vestigial marginal markings.	830
33344	M	a male, roosting in overcast conditions.	1430
32600	F	a female, typical colouring.	220
21382	F	quite a strong and distinct brown ground colour.	1320