About Pseudolycaena marsyas (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pseudolycaena marsyas (Linnaeus, 1758) has a wingspan of approximately 40–50 millimetres, or 1.6–2.0 inches. This is an unusually large size for a hairstreak, which gives the species its common name "giant hairstreak". The uppersides of its wings are typically metallic blue, with color ranging from cobalt blue to turquoise blue depending on the location the individual comes from. In males, the wing apex is black and slightly falcade. Both sexes have tailed hindwings that bear a small black spot. The undersides of the wings are pale bluish-grey, marked with multiple black spots and thin dark markings. This is a wide-ranging species found across South America as far south as Argentina. It can live in many types of habitats, but is most often found in semi-open forests at elevations between 0 and 1,000 metres above sea level. There are occasional recorded sightings of this species from the very wet Atlantic coast of Central America.
