This is the second largest family after the scoop. It includes six thousand species, which is about forty percent of all currently known butterflies. As a rule, these are small individuals (up to five centimeters), with bright colors and a characteristic metallic luster. Some species have peculiar outgrowths on the hind wings (“tails”). For this they are sometimes called "tails".
What do the tracks look like?
Usually they are not cylindrical, but flat. These can be phytophages that feed on plants, as well as entomophages that feed on aphids, ant larvae. Some butterflies can influence ants, prompting them to feed their caterpillars. The fact is that the butterfly Lycaenidae has a special gland in the seventh abdominal segment, which secretes a sweet liquid that helps in communicating with ants.
Where do Lycaenidae live?
Butterflies of this species live all over the world. Only in Russia there are more than fifty species. They are well known to residents of the countryside. They live in glades, forest edges, meadows. In a small article, we are unlikely to be able to introduce you to all representatives of this species, but we will try to introduce the most common ones.
Agriades Glendon
What does a butterfly polygonum of this type look like? Males have bluish-silver wings. Usually live in the tundra, deciduous woodlands. They feed on the saxifrage plant.
Aricia Atraxerxes
A bright and beautiful butterfly with a size of thirteen millimeters. It has chocolate brown wings with red spots on the edge. The British population is characterized by white spots that butterflies on the continent do not have. She lives in meadows, usually mountainous, in Europe. It feeds on cistus and stork. You can see these butterflies in June-August. The caterpillar is wintering.
Arion
This butterfly Lycaena is somewhat larger - its size is 20 mm. The color of the female’s wings has a thick coating of dark gray or black with a border. Caterpillars winter in the nests of ants. It lives in most of Europe, except for the northern regions. Unfortunately, this species is on the verge of destruction. Butterfly feeds on thyme and larvae of ants.
Birch marshmallows
Undoubtedly, these are some of the most beautiful lycaenidae that are common in Eurasia. They differ from other tails in larger sizes and patterns on the inner side of the wings. Caterpillars feel comfortable in gooseberries, birch trees, various rosaceae. You can watch them in August-September.
Spotted eyedroot
This is a very beautiful butterfly Lycaena, which can be seen in Russia in July. In addition, it is widespread in North America and Eurasia. Caterpillars feed on highlander and sorrel.
Lycaena forest
This butterfly is painted much more modest. Males of this species have purple wings with a dark border, and females have brown wings. The inside of the wings has black dots. The first butterflies appear in early May. Their caterpillars live on legumes.
Polyommatus orientalis
Perhaps this is the most common species in the Baikal region. The description of the oriental polygonidae butterfly should begin with its bright appearance. Males have purple-blue wings with a dark enough wide border, and females are painted a little more modest, although also spectacularly. Their wings are light brown with bright orange spots. Caterpillars of this species love to settle on legumes.
Lycaena peat
Representatives of this species are widespread in the taiga zone. In the middle of summer, puddles along the roads are covered with a continuous layer of these butterflies. Caterpillars live on blueberries and blueberries. This species is distributed over a vast territory to the Arctic Circle. Males are colored blue with a purple hue. Females have dark brown wings with yellow spots.
Lycaena turquoise
In this type, common in Europe and Asia, the male looks especially impressive. It has a bright blue color. For the caterpillar, the feed plant is the common ulcer. It should be noted that females usually lay eggs only on the youngest leaves. Here the caterpillars also winter. In the spring, they eat buds, new leaves and buds, then pupate in foliage fallen from the trees. Within a year, one generation of butterflies appears. Their years in July.
Lycaenidae birch spotted, or maleater
This type differs from others in the beautiful serrated edge of the hind wings. Their top is blue and shiny. Females are distinguished by a wider black border. The male theater has a light gray underside with black dots and a very light edge pattern. This butterfly is common in southern Europe. Prefers to settle on the warm slopes of flowering hills. What does the butterfly Lycaenidae eat? Her favorite plants are thyme and undersized legumes.
Orion
This is a small butterfly with a size of only fourteen millimeters, and in the wingspan - up to twenty-nine millimeters. The front wing is up to sixteen millimeters. Butterflies are black with a blue spot at the base. In the Scandinavian countries, females and males are equally colored in blue. The underside of the wings is almost white with large black dots and an orange stripe. Individuals have mild sexual dimorphism. It lives in the south of Europe, on dry stony slopes. It feeds on stonecrops and mountain gills. Years fall at the end of May and mid-July. It gives one or two generations a year. The caterpillar is wintering.
Royal tailed
This is one of the largest and, undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful Lycaenidae. In males, wings in a span reach six centimeters. The hind wings of butterflies have long spurs. At their base, females have bright red markings. Bottom wings are painted in a dense green color with black stripes. In a calm state, the butterfly folds its wings, and it is impossible to distinguish it in foliage. This beautiful butterfly is most often seen in Central and South America and Mexico.
Icarus
This butterfly is a typical representative of the family Lycaenidae. Depending on the habitat, it can develop in two or three generations. And in the steppes of Ukraine and in the south of Crimea, the appearance of the fourth is also possible.
Quite often, females lay eggs next to anthills on newly emerged leaves. Later, young caterpillars move to the lower part of the leaf and first eat around its edges, and then completely destroy the entire surface. Usually either a caterpillar or a pupa winters, which happens much less often.
Butterfly Lycaena ikar got its name from the name of Greek mythology hero Icarus, son of Daedalus. He took off on wings made of feathers and held together by wax, flew too close to the sun, the wax melted and Icarus died. Butterfly Lycaena, the photo of which you see in our article, is widespread in Russia, in its middle lane. It can be seen from April to October. From one to four generations develop throughout the year. It depends on the latitude of the habitat. Caterpillars feed on leaves, buds, flowers of a wide variety of plants, most often legumes.
These are small butterflies, their front wing does not exceed seventeen millimeters. The wings of the male are painted in a deep blue-violet color, the females are brown with yellow spots. Icarus is characterized by an ocular pattern on the underside of the wings. It consists of two rows of black spots along the edge, which are usually separated by an orange stripe. It can be flat or curved.
Polyommatus icarus is a good pollinator of wild and cultured leguminous plants.