Cranberry Blue

Vacciniina optilete

HOME

Male, Switzerland, July 2009



Male, Switzerland, July 2009

Female, Switzerland, July 2006

Male, Switzerland, July 2006

Male, Switzerland, July 2008

Female, Switzerland, July 2007

Female, Switzerland, July 2007

Female, Switzerland, July 2006

Female, Switzerland, July 2006

Female Switzerland, July 2006

This beautiful little blue is associated in my part of Switzerland with upland areas covered in Vacciniinum and spends most of its time in close proximity to these plants. From the upperside the male is a deeper purple than many other blues - certainly, deeper than the related Plebejus species - and this is visible even in flight. The female is rather leaden in appearance, though she may have some blue on her. But it is the underside that really gives the game away with this butterfly. The orange lunules towards the anal angle of the hindwing are swollen (always at least one, sometimes up to three) and conspicuous, while the other lunules have no orange. The dark spots outside the swollen lunules have blue in them - or at least one of them does. The whole appearance is quite unmistakable.