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Quercusia quercus
This active little butterfly is most often seen fluttering around high up in oak trees on warm sunny July and early August days. Males have a glossy purple sheen on the upperside, females have two patches on the forewing only. The underside is light grey with a white streak, edged in black, running down the middle of both wings. The hindwings have a short tail with two orange spots at the base on the underside.
It is distributed throughout much of Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The larva feeds on Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus cerris and Quercus ilex.
Other Latin names: Favonius quercus, Papilio quercus, Neozephyrus quercus, Thecla quercus.