CHARACTERISTIC DETAILS OF THE SPECIES Polyommatus escheri, Polyommatus thersites and Polyommatus icarus
These two species are very similar to each other and differ from Polyommatus icarus because in Polyommatus icarus always (with the exception only of Polyommatus icarus f. icarinus) there is a mark in the cell of UNF.
Polyommatus escheri has one generation while Polyommatus thersites has up to two, depending on altitude.
In males of Polyommatus thersites there are androconia in the discal band of the UPF and thus they are easily distinguished from males of Polyommatus escheri.
The fringes of the wings (as long as they remain intact) are characteristic and can be criteria for separation (as noted below).
In male Polyommatus escheri there is a clear black band, in the UPF and UPH, which is absent from the male Polyommatus thersites.
0725010 fringes escheri
Details of the wings of the male Polyommatus escheri: 1.There are no androconia in the discal band of UPF. 2.The fringes of UPH (with red lines) with the inner part, which is gray white and the outer, which is white. At the places of the veins the color of the inner part of the fringes is black, clearly darker than the gray-white color present in the rest of the inner part (yellow lines). 3.In the submarginal areas of the UPF and UPH there is a clear black band, which is absent in Polyommatus thersites (orange lines).
0725010 cropped
A male Polyommatus escheri with intact fringes of the wings.
0901026 details, fringes, androconia, thersites
Details of the wings of the male Polyommatus thersites: 1.The characteristic androconia in the discal band of the UPF (with a green line). 2.The fringes of the UPH (with red lines) with the inner part, which is dark brown black and the outside which is white. In the places of the veins the color of the inner part of the fringes is black, a little darker than the dark brown black color which is present in the rest of the inner part (yellow lines).
0901026 cropped, androconia, thersites
A male Polyommatus thersites with characteristic androconia and intact fringes of the wings.
0436031 icarus, thersites
On the right there is a male Polyommatus icarus, with the characteristic mark in the cell of the UNF (indicated by the green arrow). On the left a female Polyommatus thersites, in which this mark is absent.
1155015 croppedd escheri FEMALE
1144010 cropped thersites FEMALE
The females of Polyommatus thersites and Polyommatus escheri are very similar. Their separation is facilitated by the presence of males. The fringes in UPF of the Polyommatus escheri are different from the fringes of Polyommatus thersites and if they are intact they can be a criterion for separation: for the most part the fringes (in the outer part) are shaded, in Polyommatus escheri and whitish in Polyommatus thersites.
