Little tiger blue
The little tiger blue is a small butterfly with tiny tails on its back wings. Underneath, its wings are white with bold black streaks and markings, a bit like a little tiger. On top, the male is mostly dark blue, while the female is brownish grey.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
The underside of its wings is white, with a black streak starting near the body on both wings.
The top of the male's wings is mostly dark blue with a narrow border.
The female looks quite different on top: brownish grey with dark markings.
Its caterpillars feed on thorny plants, such as the Jerusalem thorn tree and a shrub called Ziziphus lotus.
Most asked questions about Little tiger blue
?Where does the little tiger blue live?
In parts of Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and western and central Asia, often in dry savanna.
?What does the little tiger blue eat?
The butterfly drinks nectar. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of thorny trees and bushes.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Tarucus balkanica
- Group
- Butterflies
- Family
- Lycaenidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Lycaenidae
- Lives on
- Africa, Asia, Europe
- Also known as
- Balkan pierrot
Where the facts come from
- Tarucus balkanicus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Zeynel Cebeci. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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