Purple Hairstreak

Blue Oak Hairstreak ( Favonius quercus ) ♂

The Blue Oak Hairstreak ( Favonius quercus, syn. Neozephyrus quercus ) is a butterfly ( butterfly ) of the family Lycaenidae ( Lycaenidae ).

Description

Upper hand, the wings are gray black with a clear dark blue squamation. In the male, this is extended to the hind wings, the females bear only the front wing tops a clearly graduated blue spot at the wing base, on the one fills the vane and below this extends to the Postdiskoidalfeld. In the light gray lower wing surface can be seen at least in Analwinkel an orange spot, the males have about an orange stain with a black dot in it. Favonius quercus can be confused with other maximum tip moths, but the differences in particular the upper wing surface are clear, leaving a purely photographic evidence to.

Flight time

Favonius quercus is univoltine, ie it produces only one generation, the flies from late June to late August.

Habitat

Sunlit, best sheltered oaks in oak forests, forest edges or less on an open field.

Way of life

The food plant consists of oak species (Quercus ). The eggs overwinter in buds. The caterpillar eats the flowers, more rarely leaves. Pupation takes place in early June. The moths suck especially honeydew, that is, Excretions of aphids. The males suck at higher heat puddles, rarely visit the butterfly thistles and Umbelliferae. Most of them will stay in treetops and are therefore difficult to observe. According to observations, the moths are in the early morning ( 10 to 11 clock ) fly close to the ground, then rise again. Likewise, they are looking at high heat close to the floor.

Dissemination

Favonius quercus is spread from North Africa to southern Russia. To the north, the species is found to southern Fennoscandia. In places, the species is endangered.

Swell