(Hübner, 1804)
False Ilex Hairstreak
Description:
The False Ilex Hairstreak can be found in dry scrub, open, deciduous woodland, or in mixed woodland. The butterflies can often be seen drinking nectar on thyme. The females lay their eggs on various oak species, including the Holm Oak (Quercus ilex), Common or Pedunculate Oak (Q. robur), Kermes or Holly Oak (Q. coccifera), and Pyrenean Oak (Q. pyrenaica). The small caterpillars only emerge from the egg the following spring, when they start eating the young oak leaves. This species has one brood a year.
Habitat:
Evergreen woodland
Tree lines and hedges
Similar species:
Satyrium ilicis
Satyrium acaciae