Distribution and biological peculiarities in Armenia: The range of this species is limited to mountainous areas in the Trancaucasia, Turkey, Kopet Dagh, Ghissar, Western Pamirs, Iran, and Afghanistan. Armenia is inhabited by S.h. cyri (Nekrutenko, 1978). In Armenia the larval host plant is Atraphaxis spinosa. Hyrcanian Hairstreak inhabits dry areas of South-western, Southern, and South-eastern parts of the country. The main habitat lays between 400 and 1200 m a.s.l., where the species occupies semi-deserts, juniper woodlands, and dry mountain steppes. Depending on elevation the butterflies are on wing from late April until late May, sometimes even until early June in single generation.
Population dynamics: The species is slightly uncommon within typical habitat, and walking through Atraphaxis bushes always flashes out these quite large Hairsteaks, which appear black in flight. During last ten years the population trend is stable (p>0.05), which can be justified by resistance of the larval host plants towards such wide-scale external disturbance, as overgrazing. The only threat is related to habitat destruction, like open pit mines, which were laid in Meghri district of Armenia, or construction of new large-scale orchards, like it happen in vicinity of Garni village.
Conservation measures: The species is not included in the Global and European Red Lists, in Red Book of Animals of Armenia, also it has not been included in the Appendices of CITES and Bern Convention. Preliminary evaluation of the species' conservation status for the Red Book of Armenia suggests it as Least Concern. At current, the distribution range of the species is covered: at the State level by Zangezur Biosphere Complex, Gnishik Protected Landscape, and Khosrov Forest State Reserve, and in the International level by Arevik, Gnishik, and Khosrov Forest Emerald Sites. The species can be observed in Agarak, Meghri, Shvanidzor, Gnishik, and Ourtsadzor Prime Butterfly Areas. As it was mentioned the species despite on high level of specialization is relatively resistant towards disturbance, therefore there are no immediate conservation actions to be undertaken. However, it is very important to secure preservation of semi-desert habitats, and for that reason it is necessary to develop management plans for the Emerald Sites, and secure proper Environmental Impact Assessment procedures for all the new large-scale projects related to habitat transformation.