- Family: Lycaenidae
- Scientific name: Satyrium spini
- English common name: Blue-spot Hairstreak
- Spanish common name: Mancha azul
The Blue-spot Hairstreak – Satyrium spini – Mancha azul is a fairly small butterfly that rarely shows its upperwing. The under wings are grey / brown in colour with a white line running through both fore and hind wings. At the rear edge of the hind wing is a blue spot which gives it the common name, above this is usually a line of orange marks edged with black, gradually getting smaller. There are two short tails.
The caterpillars of this species grow up to 1.5cm, they are green, covered in tiny hairs and wider at the head, tapering off towards the tail.
- Wing size: 34-36mm
- Altitude: Sea level to 2000m
- Flight time: May-July
- Over-wintering: Caterpillar
- Caterpillar food plant: Rhamnus sp, Prunus spinosa, Prunus domestica
- Distribution: Most of Europe
Similar species
False Ilex Hairstreak – Satyrium esculi has no blue spot at the hindwings, the white lines are not as defined with a dotted line on the forewings and a broken line on the hindwings.
Butterflies of Iberia
These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia.
Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain. (Grazalema)
Further reading
Some excellent images at the Spanish website Biodiversidad Virtual with location and other data. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Anterior (back) or siguiente (forward) to see more images of the Blue-spot Hairstreak – Satyrium spini – Mancha azul
https://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/insectarium/Satyrium-spini-img1335838.html
The Grazalema Guide
The best way to see all our web projects in one place is over at the Grazalema Guide.
The Grazalema Guide – Tourist Information Portal for the Sierra de Grazalema, Wildside Holidays, the town of Ronda and the Caminito del Rey.
Clive Muir – Wildside Holidays – Walking, wildlife and culture holidays in Spain
I’ve been living in western Andalucía for more than 20 years and spend much of my time researching and running English-language travel websites about Spain. My work covers destinations including Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema and the Caminito del Rey, as well as Wildside Holidays, which focuses on walking, wildlife and nature travel in Spain.
Through Wildside Holidays, I share practical information about Spain’s natural parks, mountains, wildlife and walking destinations, drawing on many years of living and travelling in the country. The aim is to help visitors discover Spain’s natural landscapes responsibly and plan rewarding walking and wildlife experiences.