Green-underside Blue
Glaucopsyche alexis
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucopsyche_alexis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Green-underside Blue faces severe population declines across its European range due to intensive agricultural practices that eliminate its host plants and nectar sources. Habitat fragmentation from urban development and infrastructure projects has isolated remaining populations, reducing genetic diversity and limiting dispersal between suitable sites. Climate change is shifting the species' optimal habitat zones northward and to higher elevations, while agricultural intensification continues to convert traditional grasslands into monoculture crops unsuitable for the butterfly's complex lifecycle.
Habitat
The Green-underside Blue inhabits flower-rich grasslands, meadows, and woodland clearings across Europe, particularly favoring calcareous soils where its host plants in the legume family thrive. The species requires a mosaic of habitats including areas for larval development on specific host plants and diverse flowering plants for adult nectar feeding.
Other threatened species in Lycaenidae
Threatened in Åland Islands
Frequently asked questions
Why is Green-underside Blue classified as Vulnerable?
Where does Green-underside Blue live?
What are the main threats to Green-underside Blue?
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