Binomial name
Eumedonia eumedon
Family
Lycaenidae
Distribution
Found throughout the Palearctic. It flies from May to August depending on the location. It is not found in the UK
The name
The first part of the name comes from the fact that the caterpillars feed exclusively on various wild species within the geranium family. The second part from Argus Panoptes, a character in Greek mythology, who was a giant with a hundred eyes, and the term is traditionally used for butterfly species that feature rows of conspicuous, eye-like spots or ocelli on their wings
Photos and notes
Photographed near the village of Rimetea, Romania 7 June 2026