Erynnis tages (Linnaeus, 1758)  
Dingy Skipper, Kronwicken-Dickkopffalter, Point de Hongrie, Толстоголовка тагес, Թագես հաստագլխիկ

Distribution and biological peculiarities in Armenia: 
The species is distributed from Western Europe across Asia Minor and Central Asia to the Amur region.  Armenia is inhabited by subspecies unicolor Freyer, 1852. Host plants are Eringium, Lotus, Coronilla, Medicago, Hippocrepis, etc.  The species is widely distributed in Armenia inhabiting wide variety of habitats including orchards, riparian forests, woodlands, deciduous forests, scrub-lands, steppes, and meadows from 375 to 2500 m a.s.l., avoiding inhabiting the high mountains.  Flight period is from early March to early October in three generations at lower elevation, however at the upper range of its distribution it gives only one generation.

Population dynamics:
The species can be considered as uncommon within typical habitat. The population shows moderate decline during 2003-2013 (p<0.01). Although it appears that the species is a generalist in some extent as it uses wide variety of host-plants and therefore should be secured from most of the local threats that occur in Armenia; however the heavy damages of habitat, such as open-pit mining or strong erosion as a result of intensive overgrazing, can be the causes of elimination of the local populations. Also the population of the species can be affected by change of the plant composition that also happen due to overgrazing.

Conservation measures: 
The species is not included in the Global Red List and has not been evaluated for the last edition of Red Book of Animals of Armenia (2010), although it received a status of Least Concern in European Red Book. Preliminary evaluation of the species for the National Red List estimates its conservation status as Near Threatened, therefore it is necessary to include the species in the next edition of Red Book of Animals of Armenia. The species is not included in CITES as its trade is considered of low interest, but it is also not included in the Appendices of Bern Convention. At current local populations of the species are protected in State Reserves and National Parks of Armenia, as well as occur in most of Prime Butterfly Areas; however it is important to consider integration of non-protected distribution areas of the species in the eco-corridors, thus securing connections between local populations. Also it is important to continue monitoring of the species to track its trend. 

Photo: K. Aghababyan

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