Tomares ballus
Tomares ballus Fabricius 1787
- kingdom Animalia
- phylum Arthropoda
- class Insecta
- order Lepidoptera
- family Lycaenidae
- genus Tomares
Common Names
Verdigris Hairstreak (English), The Provence Hairstreak (English), Cardenillo (English), الفراشة النحاسية الشعرية (Arabic)
Overview
Description
Size: 28-30 mm. The underside of the hindwind is green and diagnostic. The male has slight red patches on the upperside of the forewing ; while the female has a lot of red.
Conservation
Status in Egypt
Resident
Abundance
Destruction of habitat probably implies extinction in Egypt
IUCN
Data Deficient , probably Extinct in Egypt
Threats
Habitat destruction
Description
Taxonomy
Red markings on the upperside of the forewing of male led Graves to describe a specifically Egyptian subspecies, mareoticus, but Larsen (1990) doubts it.
Ecology and Distribution
Global Distribution
Narrow (western Mediterranean, extending to Egypt)
Distribution in Egypt
Coast west of Alexandria. AOO = 17 km2. EOO = 4040 km2. 3 locations.
Records
10 records. Latest in 1919 (Marsa Matrouh)
Habitat
Open meadows with short grass. Larva attended by Plagiolepis ants.
The Flight Period
January-March
Trophic Strategy
Host-plants: probably Lotus (Leguminosae).