Grey Smoky Blue

Euchrysops malathana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae

Also called: Common Smoky Blue, Smoky Bean Cupid

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Grey Smoky Blue
Photo: 116916927065934112165, CC BY

The common smoky blue (Euchrysops malathana) is a small Lycaenid butterfly with a wingspan of about 22 to 31 mm, males slightly smaller than females. It lives across south-western Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, and its larvae feed on several legume plants such as Sphenostylis, Medicago, Psidium, Canavalia and Vigna species. Adults are active throughout the year, with numbers peaking from December to May in South Africa.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Males have a wingspan of 22 to 30 mm and females 23 to 31 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Flight activity occurs throughout the year, strongest between December and May in South Africa.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its native range covers south-western Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa, extending to Madagascar.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Grey Smoky Blue photo 2
Photo: Louis Aureglia, CC BY
Grey Smoky Blue photo 3
Photo: Bruno - Yolande Zanette, CC BY
Grey Smoky Blue photo 4
Photo: Suvarna Parbhoo Mohan, CC BY-SA
Grey Smoky Blue photo 5
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

Same family (Lycaenidae)

Common BlueCommon BluePolyommatus icarusGray HairstreakGray HairstreakStrymon melinusSmall CopperSmall CopperLycaena phlaeasEastern Tailed-BlueEastern Tailed-BlueEveres comyntasHolly BlueHolly BlueCelastrina argiolusLesser Grass BlueLesser Grass BlueZizina otis

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euchrysops_malathana

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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