Mazarine Blue
(Cyaniris semiargus)
Male 05/05/03 Rhône (69)
22/05/13 Rhône (69)
Group of males 06/05/03 Rhône (69)
Female 12/05/03 Rhône (69)
Female 01/05/09 Rhône (69)
Male 25/05/06 Rhône (69)
Male 25/04/07 Rhône (69)
Male 13/05/08 Rhône (69)
10/05/09 Rhône (69)
Female 21/09/11 Rhône (69)
Female 18/05/12 Rhône (69)
04/08/13 Rhône (69)
Fresh females of this species are a beautiful, chocolate brown. I have observed them ovipositing right in the centre of red clover (Trifolium pratense) flowers. The males can usually be identified by the dark veining on the uppersides. On the whole I find this butterfly to be quite widespread but very variable in abundance according to the sites and the years. I was fortunate in May 2003 to see dozens of males gathering over damp ground in a sunny footpath.