Glaucopsyche alexis

Hostplant: Different plants of Fabaceae. In my breedings i've tried Vicia cracca, Lotus corniculatus and Lathyrus pratensis, all with success.

Lifecycle and behavior: The female lay the eggs almost exclusively close by and around the small flower buds. The eggs hatch after 4-5 days. The young larva targets the small flower buds first, burrowing its head inside the buds eating the insides. As they grow bigger, they start eating the whole plant, but seem to still prefer the flowers over the leaves. I found that the larval appearance changes with the type of larval hostplant. When using Vicia cracca, which has purple flowers, the larva got a more purplish color. With Lotus corniculatus and Lathyrus pratensis, which has yellow flowers, the larva subsequently got a more yellowish color. The whole larval stage lasted 2,5-3 weeks, and they molted 3 times. The adults are on the wing from mid May until late June in one generation. In Norway, the pupa hibernates. Some of the pupa even hibernated twice.