Polyommatus icadius (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890).

A strict monophagous insect on wild chickpeas, of which Cicer soongaricum and Cicer flexuosum are known as foodplants. This species was described as a form of Polyommatus icarus Rott., whic it resembles extremely, differing by a larger size, less expressed orange submarginal spots, and a peculiar ecology (strict confinedness to places where Cicer grows). Ranges in the mountains of Central Asia, on this photograph you see one of first individuals discovered by us in the Altai Mts. in 1998.

Range: the mountains of Central Asia, NE to Altai.

ssp: cicero Ivonin et Kosterin in litt.; range - SE Russian Altai.

A female, wings closed.

A detrituous southern slope of the Dzhazator River right bank 4 km upstream of the Zhumaly River mouth, Kosh-Agach District, Altai Republic, West Siberia, Russia. 20th July 1998. O. Kosterin.