Polyommatus coelestina (Eversmann, 1843)
Pontic Blue, L'Azure de la Veske, Голубянка небесная, Երկնային կապտաթիթեռ

Distribution and biological peculiarities in Armenia: 
The species is distributed in Southern Europe, Asia Minor, and to Southern Ural. The taxonomic status of the species in Armenia is a subject of discussion. While it is supposed that Armenia is inhabited by subspecies P. c. alticola (Christoph, 1886)m which is distributed in Armenian Highland, Caucasus, Asia Minor, and Kurdistan, there is also another opinion that Polyommatus coelestina and P. alticola are two distinct vicariant species, which both are occurring in Armenia dividing the country by its Northern part occupied by P. coelestina and Southern regions occupied by P. alticola. The species habitat are humid mountain steppes in the range from 1800 to 2400 m a.s.l. The species is known to use Vicia spp as the host plant and gives one generation per year having flight period from late May till mid or even late June at higher elevation.

Population dynamics:
The species is slightly uncommon within typical habitat and shows stable population trend during 2003-2013 (p>0.05). It is possible that despite the fact that Vicia spp are fodder objects and that intensive mowing practice takes place, the species has its mechanisms to adapt. However there is another possibility as well that the species could show significant declining trend in the longer period of time.

Conservation measures: 
The species is not included in the Global and Armenian Red Lists, as well as in CITES and Bern conventions, but was evaluated for European Red Book as Least Concern. Taking the current situation its national conservation status is also assessed as a Least Concern, however, the fact that there might be two different species in the country should also been considered and additional taxonomic studies have to be organized, as well as the species' monitoring has to be continued. Otherwise the species is presented in number of protected Areas and Emerald Sites, as well as in Prime Butterfly Areas, Gyumorats, Lichk, Kajaran, Gnisheek, and Artanish-Shorzha, and there is no need for specific conservation measures.  

Photo: K. Aghababyan