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Phengaris arion

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA ARTHROPODA INSECTA LEPIDOPTERA LYCAENIDAE

Scientific Name: Phengaris arion
Species Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Name/s:
English – Large Blue
Synonym/s:
Maculinea arion
Maculinea arion

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Lower Risk/near threatened ver 2.3
Year Published: 1996
Annotations:
Needs updating
Assessor/s: Gimenez Dixon, M.
Reviewer/s:
Contributor/s:
History:
1994 – Endangered (Groombridge 1994)
1990 – Vulnerable (IUCN 1990)
1988 – Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986 – Vulnerable (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: From notthern Spain and eastwards to Italy, Greece and southern Scandinavia. Extinct in the United Kingdom due to the loss of the short turf habitat when rabbits died out during the myxamotosis crisis. Recently successfully reintroduced to a dozen or so sites in southwestern England.
Countries:
Native:
Albania; Armenia (Armenia); Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bulgaria; China; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia (Serbia); Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology: Found in grassy places with flowers, especially thyme (Thymus) the larval food plant. Usually in dry habitats which, presumably, favours species of the the ant genus Myrmica on which the larvae also feed. Frequently amongst bushes or woodland edges.
Systems: Terrestrial
Citation: Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. Phengaris arion. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 18 May 2013.
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