Kretania sephirus

Kretania sephirus
In Galičica, North Macedonia.
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Kretania
Species:
K. sephirus
Binomial name
Kretania sephirus
(Frivaldszky, 1835)
Synonyms
  • Lycaena sephirus Frivaldszky, 1835
  • Plebejus sephirus
  • Plebejus pylaon sephirus
  • Plebejides sephirus

Kretania sephirus, previously known as Plebejus sephirus, is a species of butterfly that belongs to the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia Minor. The species is part of a species complex, with many members of the complex using variations of the name zephyr blue, including pylaon, trappi, and hesperica. The species, which previously belonged to the genus Plebejus, was moved to the genus Kretania following a 2013 molecular phylogenetics study of the subtribe Polyommatina. Many sephirus populations are threatened, and are legally protected in some countries, such as Hungary.