| Family | Lycaenidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Theclinae |
| Genus | Tomares |
| Species | ballus |
| Authority | (Fabricius, 1787) |
| English Name | Provence Hairstreak |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Provence Hairstreak can be found on abandoned agricultural land, especially on calcareous soils, in abandoned vineyards and bushy areas. Various leguminous plants are used as larval foodplant, including Bladder Vetch (Anthyllis tetraphylla), Dorycnium hirsutum, Iberian Milk-vetch (Astragalus lusitanicus), Hairy Medick (Medicago polymorpha), Black Medick (M. lupulina) and birdsfoot- trefoils (Lotus spp.). The female deposits her eggs singly on the unopened leaves. The caterpillars are sometimes attended by ants (e.g. Plagiolepis pygmaea). This species has one generation a year, and passes the winter as a pupa in the soil.
France / France: Mainland / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Spain: Sp. North African Territories / United Kingdom: Gibraltar /