Polyommatus sagratrox

Polyommatus (Plebicula) sagratrox, the Sierra de la Sagra blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. 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 region 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 🇦🇹, 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, SE. Spain.

Taxonomy

 * Tolman (1994) considers to Polyommatus sagratrox as a subspecies of Polyommatus golgus basing on some questionable and unjustified arguments (see discussion in 🇦🇹 (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 🇦🇹 (2003, 2013) and 🇦🇹 (2009)).