Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)
Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)
Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)
Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)
Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)
Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)

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Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)


Photo © Kars Veling
FamilyLycaenidae
SubfamilyPolyommatinae
GenusPseudophilotes
Speciesbaton
Authority(Bergsträsser, 1779)
English NameBaton Blue
European Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
European Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

Description

The Baton Blue can be found on dry, grassy, and flower-rich vegetation, especially on warm patches. The butterflies are often seen on flowers, drinking nectar. The females lay their eggs on the flowers and leaf stalks of various species of thyme (Thymus spp.), savory (Satureja spp.), lavender (Lavandula spp.), and mint (Mentha spp.). The caterpillars feed on the flowers and developing seeds of the foodplant. They are attended by ants (e.g. Myrmica scabrinodis and Lasius alienus). The Baton Blue passes the winter as a caterpillar or a pupa, and has two generations a year.

Distribution

Andorra / Austria / Belgium (Regionally Extinct) / Belgium: Wallonia (Regionally Extinct) / Czechia / France / France: Mainland / France: Corsica / Germany / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / Luxembourg (Regionally Extinct) / Poland (Regionally Extinct) / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Switzerland /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1LamialesLamiaceaeClinopodiumnepetaLesser Calamint
2LamialesLamiaceaeThymusmastichina
3LamialesLamiaceaeThymuspraecox
4LamialesLamiaceaeThymuspulegioidesLarge Thyme
5LamialesLamiaceaeThymusvulgarisGarden Thyme
6LamialesLamiaceaeThymuszygis
7SolanalesConvolvulaceaeCuscutaepithymum ssp. epithymum