Lycaena hermes
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Lycaena hermes faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat fragmentation and loss of its specialized host plants in Mediterranean coastal areas. Urban development and agricultural intensification have eliminated many of the butterfly's traditional breeding sites, while climate change is shifting the distribution of its required plant species. The species' limited dispersal ability makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat isolation, preventing recolonization of suitable areas.
Habitat
This butterfly inhabits Mediterranean scrubland, coastal grasslands, and rocky hillsides where its specific host plants grow. It requires areas with a mosaic of open spaces and shrubland that provide both larval food sources and adult nectar resources.
