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Family

Lycaenidae

61 species

Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.

The family comprises seven subfamilies, including the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae), and the harvesters (Miletinae).

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The family comprises seven subfamilies, including the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae), and the harvesters (Miletinae).

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Common blue

Polyommatus icarus

The common blue butterfly or European common blue (Polyommatus icarus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America. Butterflies in the...

Large blue

Phengaris arion

The large blue (Phengaris arion) is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first defined in 1758 and first recorded in Britain in 1795. In 1979 the species became mostly extinct in Britain but has been successfully...

Karner blue

Plebejus samuelis

The Karner blue (Plebejus samuelis) is an endangered species of small blue butterfly found in some Great Lakes states, small areas of New Jersey, the Capital District region of New York, and southern New Hampshire (where it is the official state...

Palos Verdes blue

Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis

The Palos Verdes blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis) is a small endangered butterfly native to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwest Los Angeles County, California, United States. As its distribution has been proven to be limited to one...

Adonis blue

Lysandra bellargus

The Adonis blue (Lysandra bellargus, also known as Polyommatus bellargus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It inhabits the Palearctic realm (Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Southern Russia, Iraq, Iran, Caucasus,...

Feniseca

Feniseca tarquinius

Feniseca tarquinius, the harvester, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae, and the only member of the monotypic genus Feniseca. It is found in eastern North America.This butterfly is the only carnivorous (i.e., insectivorous) butterfly in North...

Lycaena phlaeas

Lycaena phlaeas, the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name phlaeas is said to be derived either from the Greek...

Lampides boeticus

Lampides boeticus, the pea blue, or long-tailed blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or gossamer-winged family.

Holly blue

Celastrina argiolus

The holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) is a butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family and is native to the Palearctic.

Western pygmy blue

Brephidium exilis

The western pygmy blue (Brephidium exilis or Brephidium exile) is one of the smallest butterflies in the world and the smallest in North America. It has reached Hawaii, as well as the Persian Gulf, including eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the...

Phengaris alcon

Phengaris alcon, the Alcon blue or Alcon large blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae and is found in Europe and across the Palearctic to Siberia and Mongolia.

Eumaeus atala

Eumaeus atala, also known as the Atala butterfly or coontie hairstreak, is a small colorful butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southeastern Florida (including the Florida Keys) in the United States, and the Bahamas, Cuba, and the...

Green hairstreak

Callophrys rubi

The green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Silver-studded blue

Plebejus argus

The silver-studded blue (Plebejus argus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It has bright blue wings rimmed in black with white edges and silver spots on its hindwings, lending it the name of the silver-studded blue. P. argus can be found...

Luthrodes pandava

Luthrodes pandava (formerly Chilades pandava), the plains Cupid or cycad blue, is a species of lycaenid butterfly found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Java, Sumatra...

Gray hairstreak

Strymon melinus

The gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) is also called the bean lycaenid or cotton square borer. It is a member of the Lycaenidae family, known as the gossamer-winged butterflies and the second-largest family of butterflies. It is one of the most...

Mission blue butterfly

Icaricia icarioides missionensis

The Mission blue (Icaricia icarioides missionensis) is a blue or lycaenid butterfly subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US federal government. It is a subspecies...

Small blue

Cupido minimus

The small blue (Cupido minimus) is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Despite its common name, it is not particularly blue. The male has some bluish suffusion at the base of its upper wings but is mostly dark brown like the female. The...

Talicada nyseus

Talicada nyseus, the red Pierrot, is a small but striking butterfly found in the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia belonging to the lycaenids, or blues family. The red Pierrots, often found perching on its larva host plant, Kalanchoe, are...

Great purple hairstreak

Atlides halesus

The great purple hairstreak (Atlides halesus), also called the great blue hairstreak, is a common gossamer-winged butterfly species in parts of the United States. It is actually a Neotropical species; its North American range only includes the...

Large copper

Lycaena dispar

The large copper (Lycaena dispar) is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. L. dispar has been commonly arranged into three subspecies: L. dispar dispar, (single-brooded) which was commonly found in England, but is now extinct, L. d. batavus,...

Chalkhill blue

Lysandra coridon

The chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk. Males have a pale blue colour, while...

Glaucopsyche lygdamus

Glaucopsyche lygdamus, the silvery blue, is a small butterfly native to North America.

Castalius rosimon

Castalius rosimon, the common Pierrot, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids, or blues family.

Celastrina ladon

Celastrina ladon, the spring azure or echo blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America from Alaska and Canada south of the tundra, through most of the United States except the Texas coast, southern plain and peninsula...

Liphyra brassolis

Liphyra brassolis, the moth butterfly, is a butterfly found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia that belongs to the lycaenid family. The larvae are predatory and feed on ant larvae. This is one of the largest species of lycaenid butterflies....

Zizina labradus

Zizina labradus, the common grass blue, grass blue, or clover blue, is a small Australian butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.

Aricia agestis

Aricia agestis, the brown argus, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic realm, north to northern Jutland (Denmark) and east to Siberia and the Tian Shan.

Geranium bronze

Cacyreus marshalli

The geranium bronze or brun des pélargoniums in French (Cacyreus marshalli), is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.The geranium bronze butterfly is native to South Africa. The butterfly was first introduced to Europe in the late 20th century,...

Purple hairstreak

Favonius quercus

The purple hairstreak (Favonius quercus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, Caucasia, and Transcaucasia.The larva feeds on Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus cerris and Quercus...

Cyaniris semiargus

Cyaniris semiargus, the Mazarine blue, is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

El Segundo blue

Euphilotes battoides allyni

The El Segundo blue (Euphilotes allyni) is an endangered species of butterfly. It is endemic to a small dune ecosystem in Southern California that used to be a community called Palisades del Rey, close to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Zizina otis

Zizina otis, the lesser grass blue, is a species of blue (Lycaenidae) butterfly found in south and southeast Asia. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787. The lesser grass blue is often misidentified as Zizina labradus,...

Curetis thetis

Curetis thetis, the Indian sunbeam, is a species of lycaenid or red butterfly found in Indomalayan realm.

Zizeeria karsandra

Zizeeria karsandra, the dark grass blue, is a small butterfly first described by Frederic Moore in 1865. It is found from the southern Mediterranean, in a broad band to India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia,...

Scarce large blue

Phengaris teleius

The scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius) is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Netherlands,...

Catochrysops panormus

Catochrysops panormus, the silver forget-me-not, is a small butterfly found from India to the Philippines and south to Australia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Cajetan Felder in 1860.

Zizula hylax

Zizula hylax, 'the Tiny grass blue' is a species of blue butterfly.

White-letter hairstreak

Satyrium w-album

The white-letter hairstreak (Satyrium w-album) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Brown hairstreak

Thecla betulae

The brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The range includes most of the Palaearctic.

Tarucus balkanicus

Tarucus balkanicus, the Balkan Pierrot or little tiger blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. It is found in Mauritania, Niger (the Aïr region), Sudan (Khartoum), Uganda, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,...

Leptotes plinius

Leptotes plinius, the zebra blue or plumbago blue, is a species of blue butterfly (Lycaenidae) found in Sri Lanka, India to Australia. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793.

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