Lorquin’s Blue vs small blue

Cupido lorquinii compared with Cupido minimus

Key Differences

• Lorquin’s Blue is Least Concern while small blue is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lorquin’s Blue	small blue
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Lycaenidae	Lycaenidae
Genus same	Cupido	Cupido
Species	Cupido lorquinii	Cupido minimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Lorquin’s Blue and small blue share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cupido.

Conservation Status

Lorquin’s Blue

LC — Least Concern

small blue

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Lorquin’s Blue	small blue
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Lorquin’s Blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Portugal and Spain.

small blue

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (39 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

small blue

small blue (Cupido minimus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇵🇹 Portugal 🇪🇸 Spain