Pomegranate Playboy

Description:

Sipping on the secretions from the caper buds and leaves. (See Notes about ID)

Habitat:

Spotted in a vegetated coastal desert wadi, with a small farm nearby (see notes)

Notes:

I'm not 100% on the ID. When I first saw it, I thought it was a Long-Tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus). (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/121...) I never saw the upperside of the wings. When I looked at the photos later (which aren't the most helpful for IDing), I changed my mind. I don't see a white band. According to the Butterflies of Egypt book, the Pomegranate Playboys are found in cultivated areas not is deserts, as the larva feed on pomegranates, dates, and acacias. This one was spotted in a wadi, but there is a small farm nearby.