Cyaniris bellis, the Greek mazarine blue, is a butterfly found in the Palearctic (Asia Minor, South Europe, North Africa, Transcaucasia, Iran) that belongs to the blues family.
| Greek mazarine blue | |
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| Cyaniris bellis in Seitz 80 g | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Cyaniris |
| Species: | C. bellis
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| Binomial name | |
| Cyaniris bellis | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
editThe subspecies C. b. antiochena (Lederer, 1861) is found in Caucasus Minor, Armenia (highlands) and the Talysh Mountains.
Description from Seitz
editbellis Frr. (82 e, f) is above like montana . [preceding text — montana M.-Dur (82 e) is an alpine form [of semiargus] which occurs in the higher Alps and the mountains of South-East Europe; smaller, the male bright blue above, with broader black distal border] but the hindwing beneath bears traces of yellowish red spots in anal area. In helena Stgr. (82 f), a small form from the mountains of Southern Greece, the reddish yellow spots of the underside form a continuous chain and some of them appear in the female also on the upperside, which is quite generally the case in the still more southern form antiochena Led.[2]
Biology
editThe larva feeds on Anthyllis vulneraria , Trifolium pratense, Melilotus officinalis, Lotus corniculatus.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Freyer, 1842 Neuere Beiträge zur Schmetterlingskunde mit Abbildungen nach der Natur. (65-80) Neuere Beitr. Schmett. 5 : 1-40 (1842)
- ^ Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren)
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.