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Green hairstreak in spring

 

Green hairstreak

Rohetiib

Callophrys rubi

 

The green hairstreaks, with a just one-inch wing span, are quite common in Estonia. They are relatives of the familiar blue butterflies  and the only ones among them coloured other than blue. We meet them at forest verges, roadsides, always where there are bushes and thickets. The upper side of the wings is uniformly brown but that we usually don’t notice – it is always the green colour. With the wings closed in the rest position the hairstreak looks like a little leaf and merges very well into nature. Certainly the camouflage purpose is fulfilled