Aricia artaxerxes (Fabricius, 1793) Northern Brown Argus, Grosse, Sonnenroschen-Blauling, L'Argus de I'heliantheme, Голубянка артаксеркс, Ալոուս կապտաթիթեռ
Distribution and biological peculiarities in Armenia: The species is distributed in Scandinavia, Southern Europe, Caucasus and Transcaucasia, and then to the East through Central Asia until the Far East. Taxonomic status of the population inhabiting Armenia is under question, although initially it was thought that the country is inhabited by subspecies A. a. allous (Geyer, [1834-1836]). The species occupies mountain meadows at the elevation range from 1800 to 2400 m a.s.l. The Northern Brown Argus uses several host-plan species from Erodium spp., Geranium spp., and Helianthemum spp. The caterpillars are taken care by ants - Lasius spp. The species gives one generation per annum, having butterflies on wing from mid July till late August.
Population dynamics: The species is slightly uncommon within typical habitat, and its population trend during 2003-2013 remains stable (p>0.05), however the species has clearly lower density in the degraded grasslands. Therefore it is possible that the population trend is different, but that could be visible at the longer time series.
Conservation measures: The species is not included in the Global and Armenian Red Lists, as well as in CITES and Bern Conventions, but is listed in European Red Book as Least Concern. Preliminary assessment of its National Conservation status suggests it as a Least Concern; however with a condition of its necessary monitoring, aimed at early determination of changes in population trends. At current though, the species' range is partly covered by number of protected areas and Emerald Sites. Also the species is presented in the Prime Butterfly Areas Gnisheek and Artanish-Shorzha.