Image to followAI-generated illustrationPolyommatus icarus
Polyommatus icarus
Family: LycaenidaeGenus: Polyommatusnative in Germany
native in Germany
native_regions-Cache · 85 %
🌿
189
Plants
visited
🔗
277
Interactions
documented
🌱
15
Host plants
known
About this species
Polyommatus icarus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is multivoltine, with larvae feeding on a single host plant species. The insect overwinters in the larval stage and adults are on the wing from May to September.
Ecological network
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Plant food
Yearly cycle
Overwintering takes place as a larva; the species is multivoltine, with adult butterflies on the wing over several generations from May to September.
Merkmale
Ernährung & Verhalten
Food
monophagous
Generationen/Jahr
multivoltine
Overwintering
larva
Scientific profile
Polyommatus icarus belongs to the genus Polyommatus within the family Lycaenidae. This butterfly produces multiple broods each year (multivoltine) and its caterpillar is monophagous, restricted to a single food plant. The species passes the winter as a larva. Adult flight occurs from May through September. In Germany it is classified as * under the national Red List.
Host plants
15 plants serve as food for the larvae
Ornithopus perpusillusOnonis repensPimpinella saxifragaTrifolium pratenseTrifolium repensMedicago lupulinaAchillea millefoliumLotus pedunculatusLotus corniculatusTrifolium dubiumSenecio inaequidensScabiosa ochroleucaLythrum salicariaLathyrus tuberosusOxytropis campestris
Visited plants
174 plants are visited by this species
Jacobaea vulgarisThymus praecoxTripleurospermum inodorumComarum palustreMedicago sativaRanunculus polyanthemos subsp. serpensThymus pulegioidesEupatorium cannabinumPrimula verisTrifolium mediumMentha arvensisRosa spinosissimaClinopodium vulgareGeranium pratenseCirsium heterophyllumRosa rugosaSuccisa pratensisRanunculus linguaGeranium sanguineumCirsium palustreHeracleum sphondyliumBrassica oleracea subsp. oleraceaMentha aquaticaHypochaeris radicataMentha spicataColutea arborescens subsp. arborescensAnthemis arvensisPoterium sanguisorbaVicia sativa subsp. nigraGeranium molle var. molleMelilotus albusOnobrychis viciifoliaGeranium dissectumLathyrus latifoliusVerbena officinalisCirsium vulgare subsp. vulgareKnautia arvensisRanunculus flammulaLobularia maritimaLinaria repensHelianthus annuusPotentilla anserinaLophiolepis eriophoraPotentilla erecta subsp. erectaCentaurium erythraeaRosa arvensisAchillea millefolium var. collinaLinum usitatissimumCalluna vulgarisRosa canina var. dumalis
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 →