Polyommatus aroaniensis (Brown, 1976)


Polyommatus aroaniensis: Male (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Male (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Male (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Male (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Lower side [M] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larva (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larva (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larva (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larva (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larva (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, larva in late May 2017) [S] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larval habitat (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larval habitat (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N] Polyommatus aroaniensis: Larval habitat (Greece, Chelmos mountain range, 1000m, late May 2017) [N]

Host plants:
Onobrychis sp. The larvae like to consume flowers if available.

Habitat:
Polyommatus aroaniensis inhabits bushy grasslands and goes in mountain areas up to more than 1700m asl.

Life cycle:
According to literature, hibernation takes place as a young caterpillar (L1?). As related taxa like humedasae or admetus (but usually not damon) hibernate within the egg shell, this may be true also for this species. I recorded the larva on flowers in the Chelmos mountain range in the evening. I found numerous fresh adults in the first third of July in the Falakron area (northern Greece).

Endangerment factors:
Probably partly due to overgrazing, but also due to abandonment.

Remarks:
Polyommatus aroaniensis occurs only in Greece and adjacent parts of Macedonia and Bulgaria. But Polyommatus fabressei is very close (Spain). Similarly are also P. humedasae from the Aosta Valley and P. agenjoi (southern Spain).



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