| English name: | Reverdin's Blue |
| Norwegian name: | Lakrismjeltblåvinge |
| Auctor: | (Bergsträsser, [1779]) |
| Original description: | as Papilio argyrognomon in Nomen. Beschr. Insecten |
| Hanau-Münzenberg, 2:76. | |
| Syn.: | ismenias (Meigen, 1829) |
| aegus (Chapman, 1917) | |
| liguricus (Oberthür, 1910) (nom. praeocc.) | |
| Type locality of nominate species: | Hanau-Münzenberg, Germany |
| Subspecies in Norway: | P. argyrognomon norvegica. |
| Worldwide distribution: | Central Europe, small areas in S Norway, S Sweden, |
| temperate parts of Asia to Ussuri. |
P. argyrognomon norvegica | |
| Auctor: | Nordström, 1935 |
| Syn.: | - - - |
| Type locality of subspecies: | Oslofjord. |
| Distribution in Norway: | An extremely small area near downtown Oslo. |
| Notes: | Until the end of the 19th century P. argyrognomon norvegica was common in the lovely areas along the Lysaker River (near Oslo's former main airport, Fornebu). |
| But more than a hundred years ago the area was developed for industrial purposes. Today the area is nothing but roads and office buildings. The last breeding areas of the species are some tiny islands near Oslo. These islands have a unique vegetation, but is under great pressure from human activities. The islands serve as important recreational areas, and a great number of exclusive summer houses have been built there. The presence of the summer houses pose threats to P. argyrognomon norvegica. The exploitation of the ground water basins has made the soil on these islands so dry that P. argyrognomon norvegica's larval foodplant is dying out. And without the larval host plant present, the butterfly cannot survive. The establishment of a golf course (said to have the highest member fee in Norway) in one of the "bigger" islands also seized much of the butterfly's habitat. The habitat in another island has been ruined by the over-grazing of sheep, introduced to the island around 2005. | |
| P. argyrognomon norvegica is now extinct in some islands, but still survice in small numbers in at least one island. | |
| P. argyrognomon norvegica is quite distinct from the nominate subspecies. Perhaps it stands as a good species? | |
| Described forms found in Norway: | - - - |
| Etymology: | argyros = silver. gnomon = index, judge. |
| norvegica = of Norway. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|
PLEBEIUS ARGYROGNOMON NORVEGICA - males |
|
Specimen |
Kommune |
Coll. date |
Legit |
In coll. |
Remarks | ||
| 1 | 6 | AAY | Tvedestrand | 02-VII-1945 | Fritz Jensen | ZMO | m |
| 2 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 14-VII-1917 | ex. coll. Johan Rygge | ZMO | m |
| 3 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 16-VII-1967 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 4 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 1947 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 5 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 27-VII-1947 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 6 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 27-VII-1947 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|
PLEBEIUS ARGYROGNOMON NORVEGICA - males - ventral view |
|
Specimen |
Kommune |
Coll. date |
Legit |
In coll. |
Remarks | ||
| 1 | 6 | AAY | Tvedestrand | 02-VII-1945 | Fritz Jensen | ZMO | m |
| 2 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 14-VII-1917 | ex. coll. Johan Rygge | ZMO | m |
| 3 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 16-VII-1967 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 4 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 1947 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 5 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 27-VII-1947 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 6 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 27-VII-1947 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | m |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|
PLEBEIUS ARGYROGNOMON NORVEGICA - females |
|
Specimen |
Kommune |
Coll. date |
Legit |
In coll. |
Remarks | ||
| 1 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 16-VII-1967 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 2 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 15-VII-1966 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 3 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 09-IX-1962 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 4 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 07-VII-1968 | Kai Myhr | ZMO | f |
| 5 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 16-VII-1967 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 6 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 14-VII-1917 | ex. coll. Johan Rygge | ZMO | f |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|
PLEBEIUS ARGYROGNOMON NORVEGICA - females - ventral view |
|
Specimen |
Kommune |
Coll. date |
Legit |
In coll. |
Remarks | ||
| 1 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 16-VII-1967 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 2 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 15-VII-1966 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 3 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 09-IX-1962 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 4 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 07-VII-1968 | Kai Myhr | ZMO | f |
| 5 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 16-VII-1967 | Magne Opheim | ZMO | f |
| 6 | 28 | AK | Bærum | 14-VII-1917 | ex. coll. Johan Rygge | ZMO | f |
For further notes, photos and
maps of this species, check out
the Lepidoptera homepage of the Zoological Museum of
Oslo/Norwegian Entomological Society/Skogforsk
(text
in Norwegian).
Butterflies of Norway | Systematic
list of the Norwegian butterflies |
Bibliography
Acknowledgements | Links | Maps of
Norway | Updates
Main page
Birdwing Butterflies of the World
Section | Systematic
list of the Birdwing Butterflies
© Tony Nagypal, 2001-2010