Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)
Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)

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Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion)


Photo © Chris van Swaay
FamilyLycaenidae
SubfamilyPolyommatinae
GenusScolitantides
Speciesorion
Authority(Pallas, 1771)
English NameChequered Blue
European Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010Near Threatened (NT)
European Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

Description

The Chequered Blue, a small but conspicuous butterfly, can be seen on warm, and rocky slopes and narrow ledges, where there is little vegetation, apart from its foodplants White Stonecrop (Sedum album) and Orpine (Sedum telephium). The females lay their eggs on the leaves of the foodplant near the stem. The caterpillars are often found with different ants. The pupa overwinters, and is often hidden under stones or in small hollows in the ground near the foodplant. The Chequered Blue produces one or two generations a year, depending on its geographical position.

Distribution

Albania / Austria / Belarus / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia / Finland / France / France: Mainland / France: Corsica (Possibly Present) / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Hungary / Italy / Italy: Mainland / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Norway / Poland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Sweden / Switzerland / European Türkiye / Ukraine /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1SaxifragalesCrassulaceaeHylotelephiummaximum
2SaxifragalesCrassulaceaeHylotelephiumtelephiumOrpine
3SaxifragalesCrassulaceaePetrosedumochroleucum
4SaxifragalesCrassulaceaePetrosedumsediformePale Stonecrop
5SaxifragalesCrassulaceaeSedumStonecrops
6SaxifragalesCrassulaceaeSedumalbumWhite Stonecrop