Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
2024 photographs highlighted in yellow. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 31687_male_Var_14Apr13 | 32040_male_Var_8May13 | 9718_sex?_Var_12Apr08 | 9902_male_Var_21Apr08 |
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| 15187_male_Var_11May09 | 19610_male_Var_15Apr10 | 20053_sex?_Var_10May10 | 29097_sex?_Var_4May12 |
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| 42526_sex?_Var_29Apr17 | 45915_sex?_Var_22Apr19 | 37141_female?_Var_8May15 |
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Rubi is a common early season butterfly, smaller than most hairstreaks. It tends to vary quite a lot in terms of the green colouration, from bluish to strongly yellowish (maybe partly due to ageing) and the white dots/lines (or lack of them). There seems to be virtually no visible difference between the sexes, perhaps except body shape where visible. |
The only species rubi could be confused with is the Chapman's Green Hairstreak (C. avis), a quite scarce and highly localised butterfly of the Mediterranean regions of France and Iberia. The principal differences between rubi and avis are described on the avis page. |
| ref | sex |
observations |
alt. m |
| 31687 | M | a male, based on its territorial pose. On studying the magnified image, the end of the foreleg appears to be hooked, which confirms that this is a male. Quite dark and a rather reflective green. | 20 |
| 32040 | M | this could be considered to be a female based on the roundness of the hindwing at the anal angle, but on studying the magnified image, the end of the foreleg appears to be hooked, which confirms that this is a male. Rather yellow-green with well-defined red-brown borders. | 480 |
| 9718 | ? |
a strong basal blue flush and strong discal line on both wings. This is supposedly an indictor for avis, but my feeling, based on limited experience, is that the avis line is usually continuous. |
140 |
| 9902 | M |
by contrast, a rather golden underside. On studying the magnified image, the end of the foreleg appears to be hooked, which confirms that this is a male. |
220 |
| 15187 | M |
possibly a male, based on hindwing shape. On studying the magnified image, the end of the foreleg appears to be hooked, which confirms that this is a male. |
185 |
| 19610 | M |
quite dark and virtually unmarked. On studying the magnified image, the end of the foreleg appears to be hooked, which confirms that this is a male. |
160 |
| 20053 | ? |
by contrast, a very light bright green colour, also virtually unmarked. Probably a female based on the visible body shape. |
140 |
| 29097 | ? | a rather bluish-green ground colour. | 185 |
| 42526 | ? | slightly bluish, slight signs of ageing and with a rather bluish flush in the basal region. An almost continuous unh white line. | 140 |
| 45915 | ? | I have found it very difficult to get even a half-decent photo of rubi that shows it at its most appealing when it is fresh, but I feel this photo may come close to doing it justice. | 170 |
| 37141 | F? | a fresh rubi with an appealing bluish unh basal flush. Possibly female based on what can be seen of the ends of the forelegs. | 185 |
