About Agrodiaetus dolus (Hübner)
Agrodiaetus dolus (Hübner), also called Polyommatus dolus and commonly known as the furry blue, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Lycaenidae. This species is distributed in Spain, ranging from Huesca to Santander-Burgos; in France, occurring in Herault and from the Cevennes to the Maritime Alps; and in Italy, found in Central Italy and the Maritime Alps. Adolf Seitz described the species as follows: L. dolus Hbn. (= lefebvrei Godt.) (81 f). Males have a light, silky grey-blue gloss on the upperside of their wings, nearly identical to the gloss seen in P. coridon. This gloss is limited to the outer half of the wing, while the proximal half is dirty brown. Females are dark brown on the upperside with darker veins, and closely resemble the upperside of a male P. ripartii. The underside of the wings is rather similar to that of P. admetus, but clearer, with smaller ocelli, and lacks a white mesial streak. This nominal form is found in Southern France, and Northern and Central Italy. The aberrant form ab. vittata Oberth. (81 f), now classified as Polyommatus dolus vittata (Oberthür, 1892), consists of specimens that have a whitish mesial streak on the underside of the hindwing; this form occurs in the Cevennes (Lozere), France. menalcas Frr. (= epidolus Frr.) (81 g) is a form from Anterior Asia, which may be a distinct full species; it is now recognized as the full species Polyommatus menalcas (Freyer, 1837). This form/species has a paler underside, smaller ocelli, and a very distinct, sharply defined mesial streak on the underside of the hindwing. In males, the brown colour of the upperside is restricted to the forewing, where it is concentrated into a dirty brown patch. It ranges from Turkey and Asia Minor to Turkestan. Young larvae of this species are green, and become violet as they mature. Larvae develop until June, feeding on Onobrychis and Medicago. Adult butterflies are active from June to August, are locally abundant, and fly especially over Esparcet fields.
