Butterflies of Bulgaria - Plebeius dardanus

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Plebeius dardanus (Freyer, 1844)

Name in Tolman & Lewington (1997): Agriades pyrenaicus dardanus

Systematics: My research (Kolev, in print) shows dardanus to be a separate species from P. pyrenaicus, which is endemic to the Pyrenees and the Asturian mountains in N Spain and S France.

Range: Very local in the Balkan Peninsula and the steppes of E Ukraine and S Russia, widespread in Turkey, Transcaucasia and Caucasus.

Distribution in Bulgaria: Alibotush and Pirin, 1700-2212 m a.s.l.

Habitat: Barren karst terrain on slopes and rounded ridge crests.

Bionomics: One generation from late June to August; emergence is protracted. Larval host plant Androsace villosa L. (Primulaceae) (Tolman 1997). Both sexes bask avidly on stones and bare ground; they are strictly confined to their barren habitat and hardly ever leave it.

Conservation status: This remarkable species has a very limited range in Bulgaria. It does not appear in direct danger at present as it inhabits remote massifs with a minimum of human activity. IUCN category: Vulnerable.

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	Systematics: My research (Kolev, in print) shows dardanus to be a separate species from P. pyrenaicus, which is endemic to the Pyrenees and the Asturian mountains in N Spain and S France. Range: Very local in the Balkan Peninsula and the steppes of E Ukraine and S Russia, widespread in Turkey, Transcaucasia and Caucasus. Distribution in Bulgaria: Alibotush and Pirin, 1700-2212 m a.s.l. Habitat: Barren karst terrain on slopes and rounded ridge crests. Bionomics: One generation from late June to August; emergence is protracted. Larval host plant Androsace villosa L. (Primulaceae) (Tolman 1997). Both sexes bask avidly on stones and bare ground; they are strictly confined to their barren habitat and hardly ever leave it. Conservation status: This remarkable species has a very limited range in Bulgaria. It does not appear in direct danger at present as it inhabits remote massifs with a minimum of human activity. IUCN category: Vulnerable.

Plebeius dardanus (Freyer, 1844)