Satyrium pruni (Linnaeus, 1758)


Satyrium pruni: Male (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Male (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Female (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [N] Satyrium pruni: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [N] Satyrium pruni: Adult Satyrium pruni: Adult, resting near ground in a bushy grassland on the eastern Swabian Alb (freshly emerged?) [N] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Hatched eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, April 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg, greenish from algae (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg, greenish from algae (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs, dark form (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs, dark form (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Ovae (S-Germany, eastern Swabian Alb, Heidenheim) [N] Satyrium pruni: Ovum (S-Germany, river Iller near Memmingen, 14. March 2009) [M] Satyrium pruni: Eggs, hatched in the last spring and detectable even in the following winter (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Egg, hatched in the last spring and detectable even in the following winter (S-Germany, Memmingen, December 2022) [M] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Hatching egg (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 eats itself into a flower bud (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 eats itself into a flower bud (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 has eaten itself into a flower bud (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L1 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L2 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L3 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Half-grown larva in the penultimate instar L3 (S-Germany, Memmingen, 24. April 2009) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva in the end of the penultimate instar [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (Romania, Timisoara, 01. May 2021) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (Romania, Timisoara, 01. May 2021) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (Romania, Timisoara, 01. May 2021) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (S-Germany, Heidenheim/Brenz, 01. May 2009) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (S-Germany, Heidenheim, 30. April 2009) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva (S-Germany, Memmingen, 28. April 2009) [S] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (Memmingen, river Iller, May 2013) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (S-Germany, Memmingen, river Iller, 26. May 2013) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (S-Germany, Memmingen, river Iller, 26. May 2013) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva L4 (river Iller near Memmingen, S-Germany, May 2013) [M] Satyrium pruni: Larva [M] Satyrium pruni: Prepupa (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Prepupa (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa (e.o., S-Germany, Memmingen, 2023) [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa [S] Satyrium pruni: Pupa (e.l., S-Germany, Heidenheim, May 2002) [S] Satyrium pruni: Habitat: Prunus spinosa shrub in a warm grassland area. Here is Satyrium acaciae syntopically found. but the latter oviposits more at the marginal, smaller bushes (eastern Swabian Alb, Germany). [N] Satyrium pruni: Habitat (near Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Memmingen, January 2023) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Memmingen, January 2023) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Memmingen, January 2023) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Memmingen, January 2023) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Memmingen, January 2023) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Memmingen, January 2023) [N] Satyrium pruni: Larval habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Steigerwald, 14. April 2007) [N] Satyrium pruni: Habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Böblingen, 12. April 2020) [N] Satyrium pruni: Habitat in a blackthorn-rich woodland edge (S-Germany, Böblingen, 12. April 2020) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Prunus species, especially Prunus spinosa, but also Prunus padus and plums.

Habitat:
Satyrium pruni lives in hedges, on shrub-rich grasslands, bright riparian forests, coppice forests and rarely also gardens. Satyrium pruni prefers warm, but not too dry grassland/scrub biotopes and clear floodplain forests.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters in the egg shell. The eggs are brownish and thus not conspicuous and not so easy to find such as those of Satyrium spini or Thecla betulae. They are deposited singly or in small groups (usually 2, very rarely 3) on branches and twigs, but also on the trunk near the ground.
Thus it is additionally recommended to search for larvae (tapping) in order to detect Satyrium pruni. The larvae are observed especially on old blackthorn bushes, but soemtimes also on dwarf shrubs as long as they are able to bloom. They are rearly found together with those of acaciae (only small overlapping in ecological niches). The caterpillar moults three times, is mature in May and the adults mostly fly in June and early July (nowadays also more and more from late May). They usually fly around the bushes and trees that are interspersed in the hedges and occasionally suck on Ligustrum and Rubus.

Endangerment factors:
Despite its ecological plasticity, Satyrium pruni is endangered by the destruction of hedgerows and open forest areas as well as too rigid removal of shrub in grasslands. In areas with many shrub-rich dry grasslands as the Swabian Jura Satyrium pruni is still quite widespread and sometimes common.

Global warming seems to result in a shift: on the one hand Satyrium pruni spreads in formerly too cool regions as partially in the northern foreland of the Alps (Pre-Alps), on the other hand it is pushed back in some lowlands like the Upper Rhine Valley where some sites get too dry and hot.

Remarks:
The distribution extends from the Pyrenees (N-Spain) across central and Eastern Europe to east Asia (Korea, Japan). It misses largely in southern, Mediterranean Europe.



Callophrys avis | Callophrys rubi | Favonius quercus | Laeosopis roboris | Satyrium acaciae | Satyrium esculi | Satyrium ilicis | Satyrium ledereri | Satyrium spini | Satyrium w-album | Thecla betulae