Polyommatus icarus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The common blue butterfly or European common blue (Polyommatus icarus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with a black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots.
The Common blue was elected as the national butterfly of Israel in 2023. The contest was launched by the National Butterfly Lovers of Israel Association, with the participation of other nature organizations. A factor in the election result is that like Polyommatus icarus, the flag of Israel is blue and white.
This species was first described by Siegmund Adrian von Rottemburg in 1775. Vernacular names that have been given to P. icarus include little blew argus, blew argus, mixed argus, selvedg'd argus, ultramarine blue, caerulean butterfly, and alexis.
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 6 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 10 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 12 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 13 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 14 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 16 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 17 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 18 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 19 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 20 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 21 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Blue sighting in Athens on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 46th most-seen of the 242 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June–July and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Blue in Athens on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–March, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Blue sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
30th of 53
Of the 53 cities where we can rate Common Blue sightings, Athens ranks 30th at about 10%. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, about 40%), Jerusalem (Israel, about 30%) and Ankara (Turkey, about 30%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Common Blue that you can see in Athens (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Geranium Bronze (about 20%), Lang's Short-Tailed Blue (about 10%) and Small Copper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Blue is recorded against all the insects logged in Athens (21 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
