Callophrys Billberg,

Munguira, Miguel L., Martín, José, García-Barros, Enrique, Shahbazian, Gayaneh & Cancela, Juan Pablo, 2015, Morphology and morphometry of Lycaenid eggs (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), Zootaxa 3937 (2), pp. 201-247: 209

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Callophrys Billberg


Genus Callophrys Billberg 

( Figs. 4View FIGURE 4 E, F and 5 A, B)

In the two species of the genus ( Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus)  and C. avis Chapman  ) the egg has hemispherical shape with a depressed annular zone. They both have similar areas surrounding the micropyle, with rounded to polygonal smooth bottomed cells and five micropylar openings, with the micropylar rosette having five petals. The cells from this area have stronger walls in C. rubi  ( Fig. 4View FIGURE 4 F). The tubercle-aeropyle zone has a hexagonal pattern formed by triangular cells where small, blunt ended and wide pinnacles protrude in C. rubi  ( Fig. 4View FIGURE 4 E). In C. avis  ( Fig. 5View FIGURE 5 A, B) the tubercle-aeropyle and transition zones are occupied by a reticulum with reduced walls and with tubercles which are not very prominent, this characteristic differentiates it from the egg of C.rubi  . Also the bottom of the cells is rather smooth in C. rubi  , whereas in C. avis  it has a surface with the appearance of a sponge. The cell walls are rather thick in both species.