Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Norway
Blues, coppers and hairstreaks · Norway

Mazarine blue

Cyaniris semiargus

Mazarine blue is a dark blue butterfly that inhabits lush, fairly moist meadows in Southern Norway. The underside of the hindwing lacks yellow-orange markings. The flight period is from June to July.

Status in this countryCommon in NorwayLC (Least concern)
Mazarine blue

Flight period

The flight time is from June to July.

Habitat

Lush and quite moist meadows, covered in grass and abundant with flowers, often found in roadside ditches, along power lines, and alongside streams and similar locations.

Identifying features

Wingspan 24–34 mm. The male has a dark, deep blue dorsal wing surface with black scaling; the female is uniformly dark brown. The ventral wing surface is grey, slightly beige, with dark spots within white rings – the spots are similar in size on both forewing and hindwing. The underside of the hindwing shows no indication of yellowish-orange spots.

Similar species

The female may be confused with small blue, but this species is significantly smaller. Conversely, small females of Mazarine blue may be confused with small blue (booklet).

Distribution

In the southern Norway, from north to Nordland. Also found in Denmark and the southern Sweden and Finland.

Biology

The egg is round and flat, with a depression on top and a fine, irregular netting pattern. The larva is light and darker green, often with longitudinal stripes.