Laeosopis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Lycaenidae
Subfamilia: Theclinae
Tribus: Theclini
Genus: Laeosopis
Species: L. roboris
Name

Laeosopis Rambur, 1858.

Type species: Papilio roboris Esper, [1793]: 59, pl. 103, fig. 4 ♂, by monotypy.
References

Esper, E.J.C. 1776–1830. Die Schmetterlinge in Abbildungen nach der Natur. Europäische Schmetterlinge, Leipzig: T.O. Weigel. Vol. 1 Tagfalter: (1): 388pp; (2): 190pp; Plates: 1–123. Reference page.
Fujioka, T. 1992. Zephyrus (Theclini butterflies) in the world (2), Genera Ussuriana and Laeosopis. Butterflies (Teinopalpus) 2: 3–18. Reference page.
Hemming, A. F., 1967. The generic names of the butterflies and their type species (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 1967, Suppl. 9: 1-509.Reference page.
Rambur, J. P. 1858–1866. Catalogue systematique des Lepidopteres de l'Andalousie. Paris. J. B. Balliere, 412pp, pls 1–22 (text). Reference page.

Laeosopis is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. Its only species is Laeosopis roboris, the Spanish purple hairstreak, which is found on the Iberian Peninsula and south-eastern France.[1]

The wingspan is 12–15 mm.

Description in Seitz

L. roboris Esp. (= evippus Hbn.) (72 d). Upperside black, with ultramarine scaling in the male from the base to the broad outer area, in the female only in the basal area. Underside ashy grey, with a yellow margin in which stand light blue spots and before which are proximally pale-edged black dots. Only in South France, especially the Pyrenees, and Spain. — lusitanica Stgr. (72 d) is the form from Portugal, which is more glossy yellow beneath and has a broad yellowish red marginal band bearing hardly any spots on the forewing. Whereas nymotypical roboris occurs in South Spain, Staudinger obtained a transitional form in Castilia. Egg globular, reddish. Larva woodlouse-shaped, grey, with short black bristles, two dark yellow, interrupted dorsal lines, between which there is a black spot behind the head; venter dirty yellow, legs yellow. Sluggish, but feeds quickly (Hofner). From April till the end of May on ash and privet. Pupa barrel-shaped, fastened with several separate threads. The butterflies occur from June till the autumn in valleys with trees and shrubs and are plentiful in some places; they settle particularly on ash and chestnut, and when disturbed generally return to the same spot and therefore are easily obtainedin good condition (Elwes). The butterfly flies from April to October depending on the location.
Subspecies

L. r. escorialensis Oberthür 1910
L. r. lusitanica Staudinger, [1892] Portugal
L. r. demissa Verity, 1943 Italy
L. r. higginsi Agenjo, 1963 Spain (Granada)
L. r. magis Agenjo, 1963 north-western Spain
L. r. mudarra Agenjo, 1963 north-eastern Spain
L. r. portaensis Betti, 1977 eastern Pyrenees
L. r. thiersi Betti, 1977 southern France

Biology

The larvae feed primarily on Fraxinus excelsior, but also other Fraxinus species and possibly Ligustrum vulgare.
References

"Laeosopis Rambur, 1858" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms