Scarce Large Blue
Phengaris teleius
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarce_large_blue
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Lycaenidae
Genus
Phengaris
Scarce Large Blue belongs to the family Lycaenidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Scarce Large Blue faces severe population declines across its range due to habitat destruction and the loss of its highly specialized ecological requirements. This butterfly depends on specific host plants and ant species for its complex lifecycle, making it extremely vulnerable to environmental changes and fragmentation of grassland habitats.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Flower-rich grasslands, meadows, and marsh edges where the host plant Sanguisorba officinalis (Great Burnet) grows abundantly. Requires the presence of specific Myrmica ant species that adopt and care for the butterfly larvae in their underground nests.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Scarce Large Blue faces severe population declines across its range due to habitat destruction and the loss of its highly specialized ecological requirements. This butterfly depends on specific host plants and ant species for its complex lifecycle, making it extremely vulnerable to environmental changes and fragmentation of grassland habitats.
Agricultural intensification and abandonment of traditional grazing
Climate change affecting host plant and ant mutualist distributions
Habitat loss and fragmentation of flower-rich grasslands
Loss of Myrmica ant colonies essential for larval development
Overgrazing and inappropriate grassland management
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | VUVulnerable | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | VUVulnerable | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris teleius). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/scarce-large-blue