Satyrium esculi (Hübner, 1804)


Satyrium esculi: Adult (east Spain, Castellòn, July 2013) [N] Satyrium esculi: Adult (east Spain, Tarragona, July 2013) [N] Satyrium esculi: Adult (east Spain, Castellòn, July 2013) [N] Satyrium esculi: Female [S] Satyrium esculi: Male (Massif de la Sainte Baume, June 2009) [N] Satyrium esculi: Male (Massif de la Sainte Baume, June 2009) [N] Satyrium esculi: Female (Massif La Sainte Baume, June 2009) [N] Satyrium esculi: Female (Massif de la Sainte Baume, June 2009), victim of a crab spider. [N] Satyrium esculi: Ovum [S] Satyrium esculi: Ovum [S] Satyrium esculi: Ovum [S] Satyrium esculi: Ovum after some weeks [S] Satyrium esculi: L1 [S] Satyrium esculi: Young larva [S] Satyrium esculi: Half-grown larva [S] Satyrium esculi: Larva [S] Satyrium esculi: Larva (Provence, Rians, May 2013) [M] Satyrium esculi: Larva (Provence, Rians, May 2013) [M] Satyrium esculi: Larva (Provence, Rians, May 2013) [S] Satyrium esculi: Larva (Provence, Rians, May 2013) [S] Satyrium esculi: Larva [M] Satyrium esculi: Pupa [S] Satyrium esculi: Pupa (e.l. Provence 2013) [S] Satyrium esculi: Pupa (e.l. Provence 2013) [S] Satyrium esculi: Habitat in Provence, France [N] Satyrium esculi: Larval habitat (Quercus ilex) in Provence (Rians) in late May 2013 [N] Satyrium esculi: Larval habitat (Quercus ilex) in Provence (Rians) in late May 2013 [N] Satyrium esculi: Habitat in east Spain (Tortosa, July 2013) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Quercus, especially Quercus ilex and Q. coccifera.

Habitat:
Satyrium esculi is mostly found in hot and dry, open woods and bushy slopes.

Life cycle:
The egg respectively the caterpillar in the egg shell overwinters on twigs and stems. First, it is dark gray, but obviously lightens up after a few weeks when the larva has developed. I tapped the larvae from flowering evergreen oaks in the Massif de la Sainte Baume in Provence in May. The adults fly from late May/early June to July (sometimes still rare in early August). They love to suck on blackberry and pistachio flowers.

Endangerment factors:
Satyrium esculi is probably moderately at risk, mostly by converting the sparse oak woods in pine plantations, vineyards or other cultivation and overbuilding.

Remarks:
Satyrium esculi occurs in Atlanto-Mediterranean distribution from North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula along the French Mediterranean coast to Provence.



Satyrium acaciae | Satyrium ilicis | Satyrium ledereri | Satyrium pruni | Satyrium spini | Satyrium w-album