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Polyommatus daphnis / Meleager's Blue
Flatradhëmbaçja blu
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae
Polyommatus daphnis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). TL: Vienna.
 
 
 
1a. Polyommatus daphnis, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Polyommatus daphnis copula. Mali i Thatë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Polyommatus daphnis ♀ upperside, blue morph. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Polyommatus daphnis ♂ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Polyommatus daphnis ♀ upperside, brown morph. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Polyommatus daphnis ♀ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 18-19 mm.
Hw: scalloped outer margin between v2 and v3.
Ups: light shining blue, narrow black marginal border.
Upf: faint discal spot (often absent), no other markings.
Uns: pale grey gc, usual basal and postdiscal black markings, marginal markings faint grey.
Unf: no cell-spot.
Unh: no orange submarginal lunules.
♀♀
Similar size.
Hw: more expressed scalloped outer margin between v2 and v3.
Ups:deeper blue gc, coastal and marginal dark borders, sometimes completely brown gc.
Upf: discal spot.
Uph: faint discal spot, antemarginal spots present.
Uns: pale brown gc otherwise similar as ♂♂.
Similar species
Check other Polyommatus.
Typical for Polyommatus daphnis are:
Hw:  outer margin scalloped between v2 and v3, more expressed in ♀♀ than ♂♂.
Upf: ♂♂ narrow black marginal border contrasting with shining pale blue gc.
Ups:  ♀♀ unique pattern with deeper blue gc or dark grey gc (forma steeveni) with blue-grey outlined markings.
Unf:  no cell-spot.
 
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from mid-June to early September.
Egg: overwintering stage.
Caterpillar: long period in spriing.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Polyommatus daphnis inhabits warm, flowery slopes from 250 up to 1750 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Astragalus sp., Coronilla varia, Hippocrepis comosa, Lathyrus niger, Onobrychis viciifolia, Securigera varia and Thymus serpyllum.
Butterflies are feeding on a variety of available flowers in the habitat.
Distribution
Albania: widespread in the mountains.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB* - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU*
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Polyommatus daphnis is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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