Polyommatus icadius explained

Polyommatus icadius is a butterfly found in the East Palearctic that belongs to the blues family.

Subspecies

• P. i. icadius Pamirs
• P. i. morkeleb Korb, 2000 Darvaz
• P. i. candidus Zhdanko, 2000 Tian-Shan
• P. i. cicero Ivonin & Kosterin, 2000 South Altai
• P. i. fominae Stradomsky, 2005 Caucasia

Taxonomy

Formerly a subspecies of Polyommatus icarus.

Description from Seitz

In ab. icadius [of ''icarus''] Gr.-Grsh. (80 g) which occurs particularly in Anterior Asia, the borders of the ocelli are almost of the same colour as the ground and therefore scarcely visible, being much too distinct in our figure. The hindwing, moreover, has a slightly different shape in this form, which is perhaps on the way to develop into a local race.^[1]

Biology

The larva feeds on Cicer songaricum, Cicer flexuosum

See also

• List of butterflies of Russia

Notes and References

1. Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren)