Photo © Nick Montegriffo
Lang's Short-tailed Blue
Leptotes pirithous
Checklist Number61.009 [B&F: 1568]
Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure
Classification
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Subfamily: | Polyommatinae |
| Genus: | Leptotes |
| Species: | pirithous |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1767) |
In southern Europe, found in farmland, rough meadows, roadside verges and woodland edges, less numerous in the north of its range. Recorded once in Britain, when a male was caught at Bloxworth, Dorset on 13th June 1938. It is known to migrate and the sighting coincided with a general influx of migrant lepidoptera on the south coast of England. Wingspan 24-26 mm. Larva feeds on Lucerne.