''Polyommatus golgus'', the Sierra Nevada blue, is a species of

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

in the family

Lycaenidae Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfl ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

with habitat in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

(

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

and

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...

provinces), and is an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

. It is a small butterfly (forewing length is 11 to 16 mm) that has a sexual dimorphism, the upperside of the male is bright blue to light sky blue , that of the female is brown, decorated with a submarginal line of large orange macules. Both sexes have their wings lined with a white fringe. The underside is light ochre to brownish-grey adorned with a submarginal line of white lunula centred by a more or less marked black point and discreetly surrounded by orange. The forewing verso of the male has six to seven postdiscal spots. On the hindwing verso there are from eleven to thirteen spots: two to four basal, one discal and from seven to eight postdiscal. The discal spot is triangular and is almost without black scales in its centre, so that the white area of the spot is quite wide. Submarginal lunules are of pale orange colour, they are variable in number and size and close to them are noticeable black marginal spots.Munguira, ML, Castro, S, Barea-Azcón, JM, Olivares, J, Miteva, S. 2015. Species Recovery Plan for the Sierra Nevada Blue ''Polyommatus'' (''Plebicula'') ''golgus''. ''Butterfly Conservation Europe'
pdf here
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Biology

The larva feeds on '' Anthyllis vulneraria pseudoarundana''. It flies on dry slopes with sparse vegetation at 2,500-3,200 metres.

Sources

''Polyommatus golgus''
at

Encyclopedia of Life The ''Encyclopedia of Life'' (''EOL'') is a free, online encyclopedia intended to document all of the 1.9 million living species known to science. It is compiled from existing trusted databases curated by experts and with the assistance of non ...

Polyommatus Endemic fauna of Spain Endangered animals Sierra Nevada (Spain) Butterflies described in 1813 Butterflies of Europe Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Jacob Hübner Habitats Directive Species {{Polyommatini-stub