Common Euphaedra vs Holly Blue

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Euphaedra Holly Blue
Scientific Name Euphaedra medon Celastrina argiolus
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Lycaenidae
Size 55-70 mm wingspan 26-34 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Underground
Diet Dung Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia) Europe, North Africa, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Euphaedra

A forest-dwelling butterfly with deep orange-brown wings and distinctive blue-purple iridescent bands. It is one of the most commonly encountered Euphaedra species in West Africa. Males and females differ significantly in pattern.

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Did You Know?

Over 200 species of Euphaedra exist in Africa, making it one of the most species-rich butterfly genera on the continent.

Holly Blue

Pale silvery-blue butterfly with small black dots on the underside. Alternates between holly and ivy as host plants between spring and summer broods.

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Did You Know?

Population numbers cycle dramatically every few years due to a parasitic wasp that tracks its abundance.