Greek lycaenid...

[David M]

Been sent this from medium range altitude in Greece during the month of June.

This is not an area I am familiar with so if anyone could suggest what this butterfly might be I'd be extremely grateful:

[Padfield]

It is always tricky with aberrants, especially when you can only see the aberrant side! The underside says to me Polyommatus. Not Aricia (because of the fringe and the orientation of the spots that would be in a colon in anteros); not (subgenus) Lysandra (the fringe); not Plebejus (the white wedge &c.). It seems to be a male, from the abdomen. I would suggest the candidates are icarus, thersites, escheri and eroides. The hindwing fringe doesn't look right for escheri. What can be seen of the leading edge of the upperside forewing doesn't really look right for the others, but icarus at least is often small and dark in hot regions and thersites might be too - I've never seen it in Greece.

Or am I missing something?

Guy

[Mikhail]

My first reaction, before reading Guy's contribution, was dorylas. I still wouldn't rule it out.

M.

[Roger Gibbons]

Wouldn't the forewing margins normally be blank or at least less marked if it were dorylas? I say normally as I have seen dorylas with marginal markings but not in s6.

It appears to be a male from what little we can see of the end of the abdomen.

Based on the hindwing colour, I would tend to rule out escheri and lean toward thersites.

But I would add that I have never been to Greece.

Roger

[Padfield]

My very first reaction was dorylas too, but I dismissed it for the same reasons as Roger. I presume if the black is reduced the remaining red/orange looks like dorylas. But I should have left it in as an option, given that it’s an ab.

Guy

[David M]

Some interesting replies here and many thanks for them.

I personally can't come to any remotely firm decision on its identity, other than it is probably a polyommatus.