Image to followAI-generated illustrationLycaena phlaeas
Lycaena phlaeas
Family: LycaenidaeGenus: Lycaenanative in Germany
native in Germany
native_regions-Cache · 85 %
🌿
160
Plants
visited
🔗
213
Interactions
documented
🌱
10
Host plants
known
About this species
Lycaena phlaeas is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. Its larvae are oligophagous, feeding on a restricted range of host plants within one plant family. The species is multivoltine and overwinters as a larva; adult butterflies are active from March to August.
Ecological network
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Plant food
Yearly cycle
Multivoltine, completing several generations each season. Adults fly from March to August. The species passes the winter in the larval stage.
Merkmale
Ernährung & Verhalten
Food
oligophagous
Generationen/Jahr
multivoltine
Overwintering
larva
Scientific profile
Lycaena phlaeas belongs to the family Lycaenidae. It is a multivoltine butterfly, producing several successive broods during the year. The larval stage is oligophagous, utilizing a limited number of related plant species. Overwintering occurs in the larval form. The flight period extends from March to August. In Great Britain, the species has been recorded but its status remains indeterminate.
Host plants
10 plants serve as food for the larvae
Jacobaea vulgarisRumex pulcherRumex acetosellaRumex acetosaRumex obtusifoliusRumex crispusRumex arifoliusTanacetum vulgareOxyria digynaSenecio paludosus
Visited plants
150 plants are visited by this species
Jacobaea aquaticaSilene dioicaAchillea millefolium var. collinaTrifolium pratensePimpinella saxifragaPulicaria dysentericaRanunculus repensPrunus spinosaFicaria vernaErysimum cheiriPrimula vulgarisLeucanthemum vulgareMentha suaveolensCirsium acauleGeum urbanumAnthyllis vulneraria subsp. polyphyllaCirsium tuberosumErica tetralixRanunculus bulbosus subsp. bulbosusAllium sphaerocephalonCentaurea cyanusMelilotus altissimusSuccisa pratensisMentha aquaticaSenecio squalidusCentaurea scabiosaRanunculus acris subsp. friesianusRubus fruticosusCirsium heterophyllumRanunculus aquatilisLotus corniculatus subsp. hirsutusDipsacus fullonumTripolium pannonicumKnautia arvensisGeranium sylvaticumAnthemis arvensisComarum palustreRosa spinosissimaImpatiens glanduliferaRanunculus linguaAllium ursinumColchicum autumnaleLobularia maritimaEuphrasia nemorosa subsp. nemorosaConopodium majusRosa rugosaGeranium molle var. molleRosa arvensisHeracleum sphondyliumBrassica oleracea subsp. oleracea
Sources & data origin
•Interaktionsdaten via GloBI (CC-BY 4.0)
•Cook et al. (2025) UK Butterfly & Moth Traits (DOI: 10.5285/dbc7cc17-cbbd-49dd-bab4-8e8855768d66)
•Neff et al. (2025) — Swiss Moth Traits, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14506883 (CC BY)
•GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — GBIF Secretariat (2024), DOI: 10.15468/39omei (CC BY 4.0)
All data is licensed under CC BY 4.0, CC0, or compatible terms. Attribution according to license conditions. Full source overview →