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Butterfly relocation: We organised a private "study-tour" in co-operation with local experts and conservationists to re-colonize and photograph Zephyr Blues. This is one of our rarest butterfly, discovered 1944 next to Budapest. Later one of our best Lycaenidae expert, dr. Richard Szabo did find it near Göd in 1953, and later dr. Zsolt Balint, curator of the HNHM find several new locations around the Plains of Pest and the Szentendre Island, between 1985-1987. A famous discovery happened in 1991, when Prof. Zoltan Varga find it next to Tokaj on Astragalus dasyanthus (previously it was known only on A. exscapus here in Hungary), which was the first location away from the surroundings of Budapest. Finally botanist Zoltan Vajda and Andras Mate, rangers of the Kiskunsag NP discovered the only population on sand, in 1998, which was the place of our relocation as well. We captured and relocated 35 specimen to a new place with strong foodplant population, which was highly succesfull. After the action the butterflies immediatelly landed on their foodplant and started to laying their eggs in the new habitat. Another 3-4 years will needed to support the new colony before it will establish themselfve. Another ongoing project will start in two weeks with the False Ringlets (only one colony left).
Ps.: Sincerest gratitude to Zsolt Balint, who corrected my text and provided valuable details for the history of the species.
25 May, 2009


Zephyr Blue - One of the four strictly protected butterflies
of Hungary.


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