| Family | Lycaenidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Theclinae |
| Genus | Laeosopis |
| Species | roboris |
| Authority | (Esper, [1793]) |
| English Name | Spanish Purple Hairstreak |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Spanish Purple Hairstreak occurs in damp, deciduous woods, on rough vegetation beside streams and rivers, and in parkland. The butterflies spend most of their time in the top of ash trees, the larval foodplant, and are difficult to see. The female lays her eggs on Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and other species of Fraxinus, and possibly also Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare). The eggs remain on the tree for the rest of the summer, autumn and winter. The small caterpillars that emerge in the spring, feed on the flowers and new leaves of the foodplants. They are visited by ants of the genus Lasius. They pupate among the leaf litter. This species has one brood a year.
Andorra / France / France: Mainland / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Spain / Spain: Mainland /