Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades)
2022 photographs highlighted in blue. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 34206_male_Lot-et-Garonne_30Aug13 | 37503_female_Rhône_10Jun15 | 45663_female_Rhône_23Aug18 | 46865_male_Rhône_24Jul19 |
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| 16160_male_Rhône_14Jun09 | 45654_female_Rhône_23Aug18 | 46857_female_Rhône_24Jul19 | 45630_pair_Rhône_23Aug18 |
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Argiades is very similar to the Provençal Short-tailed Blue (C. alcetas), the differences being outlined on the alcetas page.
It seemed to me that a few years ago, argiades was not uncommon especially in western France, although rarely in good numbers, and that alcetas was encountered only occasionally in the south. However, in the last few years, alcetas seems to have become more common and argiades quite uncommon. |
Argiades range, according to Lafranchis is virtually the whole of France, but I have never seen it in the south-east départements of Var, the Alpes-Maritimes or the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, hence the absence of decent photographs.
This species was previously known as Everes argiades. |
| ref | sex |
observations |
alt. m |
| 34206 | M | a male, clearly identifiable from alcetas from an upperside view by the width of the borders and the length of the tails. | 60 |
| 37503 | F | a rare (for me) sighting of a female, from a trip to the Rhône département, where it is not uncommon. | 180 |
| 45663 | F | a female, quite fresh and jet black with no blue scales on the outer half of the upf. 45654 is the underside. | 180 |
| 46865 | M | a male underside, confirmed by the glimpse of blue on the upperside hindwing. | 190 |
| 16160 | M |
a quick snap of this male, showing the quite pronounced orange in the marginal unh lunules in s1c and s2. The other marginal markings are quite pronounced, especially the unf marginal markings. |
180 |
| 45654 | F | a female, the underside of 45663. It had previously been ovipositing on the Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) on which it is sitting. | 180 |
| 46857 | F | a female ovipositing on Melilotus officinalis (Yellow Sweet Clover). A beautiful silvery blue-white colour. | 190 |
| 45630 | PAIR | a mating pair. I believe the male is on the right. | 180 |
34206_male_Lot-et-Garonne_30Aug13
