Scarce large blue
| Scarce large blue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Phengaris |
| Species: | P. teleius |
| Binomial name | |
| Phengaris teleius Bergsträsser | |
 | |
| Distribution map | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Glaucopsyche teleius | |
The scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius) is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is found in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, northern Serbia,[1] Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Biology
The larva of this species first feeds on Sanguisorba officinalis (great burnet), then moves onto ant nests and is a predator of the ant brood. Myrmica rubra and Myrmica scabrinodis have been reported as frequent host ant species.[2] A recent microhabitat preference study indicates that grazing is necessary for maintaining the present distribution and abundance of these butterflies.[3]
Subspecies
There are six subspecies.
- P. t. teleius central Europe, Caucasus and western Siberia
- P. t. chosensis (Matsumura, 1927) southern Ussuri
- P. t. euphemia (Staudinger, 1887) Amur Oblast, Ussuri
- P. t. obscurata (Staudinger, 1892) Transbaikalia
- P. t. sinalcon Murayama, 1992 northern China
- P. t. splendens (Kozhantshikov, 1924) Altai mountains, Sayan Mountains
Sources
- ↑ Popović M. et al. 2014. Distribution and threats of Phengaris teleius (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in northern Serbia. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 60(2): 173-183.
- ↑ Tartally, A. and Varga, Z. 2008. Host ant use of Maculinea teleius in the Carpathian Basin (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). "Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae" 54(3): 257–268.
- ↑ Batáry P. et al. 2007. Microhabitat preferences of Maculinea teleius (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in a mosaic landscape European Journal of Entomology 104: 731–736.
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Data related to Maculinea teleius at Wikispecies -
Media related to Maculinea teleius at Wikimedia Commons - World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Maculinea teleius