Polyommatus sagratrox

Polyommatus (Plebicula) sagratrox, the Sierra de la Sagra blue, is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is endemic to Spain in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula.

Adults are on wing from July (normally) to August. The host plant for the larvae is Anthyllis vulneraria microcephala, an endemic plant from the north-east Andalusia fegion of south-eastern Spain.

Synonyms

• Plebicula sagratrox Aistleitner, 1986
• Polyommatus golgus sagratrox (Aistleitner, 1986)
• Plebicula golgus sagratrox (Aistleitner, 1986)

Ecology and distribution

• Type locality: Sierra de la Sagra in the north-east of the Province of Granada, Spain.
• Distribution (see Gil-T., F. (2013)): only in four separated and small colonies: Sierra de la Sagra, Sierra de Guillimona and Sierra Seca in the north-eastern Granada province; and Sierra de la Cabrilla in north-eastern Jaén province.
• Its distribution is the most reduced of all Papilionoidea endemic species of Spain: the total occupied area by the four colonies is 0.82 km².
• Altitude of its biotopes: 1900–2300 m (note: altitude very different from Polyommatus golgus: 2500–3200 m).
• Host plant: Anthyllis vulneraria microcephala, an endemic plant from the north-east Andalusia region, in Spain.

Taxonomy

• Tolman (1994) considers to Polyommatus sagratrox as a subspecies of Polyommatus golgus basing on some questionable and unjustified arguments (see discussion in Gil-T. & Ibáñez (2009)).
• P. golgus and P. sagratrox show an ecology (altitude of their biotopes, larval host plants, soil substrate, etc.), morphology and ethology very differentiated (see Gil-T (2003, 2013) and Gil-T. & Ibáñez (2009)).

References

• Aistleitner, E. (1986): Plebicula sagratrox spec. n. neue Bläulingsart aus Südost-Spanien (Lep., Lycaenidae) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Atalanta 16: 397-404.
• Gil-T., F. (2003): Polyommatus (Plebicula) sagratrox : ecología, morfología comparada de sus estadios preimaginales con los de Polyommatus (Plebicula) golgus (Hübner, 1813), taxonomía y nuevos argumentos para su validez específica (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 33: 219-227. Full article (in Spanish): pdf abstract.
• Gil-T., F. (2007): The correct hostplant of Polyommatus golgus (Hübner, 1813): Anthyllis vulneraria pseudoarundana H. Lindb. (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Atalanta 38 (1/2): 199-202, 311. Full article: .
• Gil-T., F. (2010): The correct hostplant of Polyommatus sagratrox (Aistleitner, 1986): Anthyllis vulneraria microcephala (Willk.) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Atalanta 41 (3/4): 321-322, 482. Full article: .
• Gil-T., F. (2013): Updating of the distribution of Polyommatus sagratrox (Aistleitner, 1986), with the first record for Jaen province (SE. Spain). Notes on morphology, ecology and taxonomy (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Bol. Soc. Andaluza Entomología 22: 94-103. Full article (in Spanish): .
• Gil-T., F. & S. Ibáñez (2009): New localities for Polyommatus sagratrox and Pseudochazara hippolyte (Esper, 1783) in Granada province (S. Spain), with considerations on the taxonomic status of the first taxon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae; Satyrinae). Atalanta 40 (1/2): 185-190, 332. Full article: .
• Tolman, T. (1994): Concerning the pre-imaginal stadia and taxonomy of Polyommatus (Plebicula) sagratrox (Aistleitner, 1986) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). Phegea 22 (1): 23-27.

External links

• Photos of larva and pupa of Polyommatus sagratrox.