Black-eyed Blue. Glaucopsyche melanops (Boisduval, 1828)
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Wingspan: From 2.2 to 3.2 cm.
Routes where it can be observed
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 09. Periana - Riogordo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 03. Vélez-Málaga - Torrox
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 04. Torrox - Nerja
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 05. Nerja - Frigiliana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 06. Frigiliana - Cómpeta
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 07. Cómpeta - Canillas de Aceituno
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 08. Canillas de Aceituno - Periana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 10. Riogordo - Alfarnate
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 11. Alfarnate - Villanueva del Rosario
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 12. Villanueva del Rosario - Archidona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 13. Archidona - Villanueva de Tapia
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 14. Villanueva de Tapia - Villanueva de Algaidas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 15. Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 17. Alameda - Fuente de Piedra
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 19. Campillos - Embalses del Guadalhorce
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 21. Estación de El Chorro (Álora) - Carratraca - Ardales
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 22. Ardales - El Burgo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 23. El Burgo - Ronda
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 24. Ronda - Estación de Benaoján
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 25. Estación de Benaoján - Jimera de Líbar
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 26. Jimera de Líbar - Benalauría
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 27. Benalauría - Genalguacil
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 28. Genalguacil - Casares
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 29. Casares - Estepona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 31. Marbella - Ojén
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 32. Ojén - Mijas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 33. Mijas - Benalmádena
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 34. Benalmádena - Alhaurín de la Torre
Code
Closed wings: Their colour is grey, and sometimes a bit brown. On the forewings, there is a series of dots which increase in size towards the outer margin, which they later get away from. The hindwings have a series of dots which form an arch. The first one is broken at the second dot which is closer to the inner part of the wings. All wings have margins which are covered in faint white and dark spots.
Open wings: It hardly ever opens the wings. Male butterflies are bright blue with wide dark margins. Females have less blue colour on their wings.
Similar species
Lorquin’s Blue: It is smaller, as well as its dots, which are flatten on the forewings.
Holly Blue: It is light grey, although it seems whitish. There is a series of flat stepped dots on the forewings. Irregular dots can be seen on the hindwings.
Green-underside Blue: This species is the most similar to the Black-eyed Blue, but it can be distinguished easily thanks to the series of dots on the forewings, which stretch towards the margin and then away from it. Moreover, both outer margins are plain, without traces of whitish or dark spots.
Biology and Habitat
Only one generation a year flies from February to June. It is most likely to be seen from March to May, above all, in April.
It lives in all kinds of forests and scrubland where its caterpillars' foodplants, leguminous shrubs, can be found. In Málaga, its favourite foodplant is Anthyllis cytisoides, so they can be seen around it. Other species they visit are Retama sphaerocarpa, Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum), Genista hirsuta and Prostrate Canary Clover or Badassi (Dorycnium pentaphyllum).
Distribution in the Great Path
These butterflies can be seen along most GMP stages, though they are less common and limited to certain places on the coast and in the north of the province, where they do not exist on some stages.