Maculinea alcon
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Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae

[Photo] Alcon Blue Butterfly (Maculinea alcon) eggs on Marsh Gentian. Date: 19 July 2006. Author: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BP

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Maculinea alcon, more commonly known as Alcon Blue or Alcon Large Blue is a Lycaenid butterfly (this family includes the blues, coppers and hairstreaks) and is found in Europe and Northern Asia.

The Alcon blue butterfly can be seen flying in mid to late summer. All large blue butterflies are rare because of this interaction with ants.

Generally, Lycaenidae species which have a myrmecophilous relationship with the ant genus Myrmica, are locked to primary [[host (biology)|host specificity. The Alcon blue is unusual in this regard in that it uses different host species in different locations throughout Europe. It is known to use Myrmica scabrinodis, Myrmica ruginodis, and Myrmica rubra as the primary host within differing European zones.

The eggs are laid onto the Marsh Gentian, Gentiana pneumonanthe, and the caterpillars eat no other plant. However, in the region of the Alps they are sometimes also found on the related Willow Gentian (Gentiana asclepiadea).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maculinea_alcon

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