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Polyommatus thersites / Chapman's Blue
Flatrablujta e shkathët
Lycaenidae - Polyommatinae
Polyommatus thersites (Cantener, 1835). TL: Vosges, N.E. France.
 
 
 
1a. Polyommatus thersites, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Polyommatus thersites ♂ lateral. Lekas, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Onobrychis sp., foodplant of Polyommatus thersites. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Polyommatus thersites copula. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Polyommatus thersites ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Polyommatus thersites ♂ androconial scales. Geece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 13-16 mm.
Ups: blue gc, narrow dark marginal border, numerous androconial scales.
Uph: rarely antemarginal dots.
Uns: light grey to brown gc, blue-green basal flush (less visible in summer), usual markings well developed, orange submarginal lunules often on fw (can be vestigial) and hw.
Unf: no cell-spot and second basal spot.
Unh: usual markings, white mark on v4.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: brown gc, regularly with basal blue suffusion and blue scales on thorax, orange submarginal lunules present on fw (can be reduced) and hw.
Uns: dark grey-brown gc, usual markings bolder, conspicuous white mark on v4.
Similar species
Check other Polyommatus, especially Polyommatus icarus.
Typical for Polyommatus thersites are:
Ups:  ♂♂ abundant androconia.
Ups:  ♀♀ brown gc, partial blue or extensive blue suffusion.
Unf:  no cell-spot (confusion possible with P. icarus forma icarinus)
Uns:  constant, bright orange sm lunules.
 
Life cycle
Adults: two to three generations from April to October.
Egg: 6-9 days.
Caterpillar: overwintering as L2 or L3 larva in litter layer.
Pupa: 11-27 days.
Habitat
Polyommatus thersites inhabits warm, dry flowery taller grasslands with scatterd bushes from lowland up to 1700 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement very modest, population density moderate.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Onobrychis sp., also mentioned are Hedysarum coronarium and Securigera varia.
Butterflies feed on a variety of available flowers in the habitat.
Distribution
Albania: local.
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 thersites is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NT.
Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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