Luthrodes galba

Luthrodes galba, the Persian grass blue,^[1] is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Turkey, central and eastern Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan,^[2] the Caucasus and Cyprus.

Luthrodes galba
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Luthrodes
Species:	L. galba
Binomial name
Luthrodes galba (Lederer, 1855)[1]
Synonyms
Lycaena galba Lederer, 1855 Lachides galba (Lederer, 1855) Freyeria galba (Lederer, 1855) Chilades galba (Lederer, 1855) Lycaena phiala Grum-Grshimailo, 1890

The larvae feed on Prosopis stephaniana, Acacia leucophloa, Acacia campbeli and Lagonychium farctum. They are associated with the ant species Monomorium gracillium.

Seitz 77k

Description from Seitz

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

Z. galba Led. (77 k). Above almost exactly like lysimon in both sexes, beneath strongly recalling species of Azanus, especially in the arrangement and development of the black spots; the forewing beneath bears also some similarity to Chilades trochylus, with which galba moreover agrees in size. It is very easily separated from trochilus by the absence of red and blue submarginal dots. — Syria, said to occur also in Egypt, being mentioned, e. g., from Ismailia on the canal of Suez.^[3]

Subspecies

• Luthrodes galba galba (Caucasus Minor, highland of Armenia, Talysh Mountains)
• Luthrodes galba phiala (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890) (Kopet-Dagh, southern Ghissar)