Polyommatus nicias (Meigen, 1830)
The caterpillars live on Gernaiaceae such as Geranium sylvestris and in particular on Geranium rivulare.
In Central Europe Polyommatus nicias occurs only in alpine meadows, forb communities, shrub edges or swamps of the Central and Southern Alps up to 2600m above sea level.
The adults fly in a single generation from June to August. Oviposition takes place on leaves and flowers of the host plant. The caterpillars overwinter half-grown. I observed half to fully-grown caterpillars in late May at about 2200m above sea level on the Täschalpe (Valais, Switzerland) together with very little larvae of Lycaena virgaureae (the latter at Rumex scutatus).
In the upper elevations, Polyommatus nicias is only locally endangered. But in the lower elevations it is threatened by intensive farming (overgrazing, mowing), afforestation and overbuilding (tourism!).
Polyommatus nicias is found in the western Central and Southern Alps, as in Switzerland in the Valais and the Engadine. It is missing in the northern Alps. In addition, it also occurs in Scandinavia and northern Russia as well as locally in the Pyrenees.
Polyommatus admetus | Polyommatus agestis | Polyommatus amandus | Polyommatus anteros | Polyommatus argus | Polyommatus argyrognomon | Polyommatus aroaniensis | Polyommatus artaxerxes | Polyommatus bellargus | Polyommatus coridon | Polyommatus cramera | Polyommatus damon | Polyommatus daphnis | Polyommatus dolus | Polyommatus dorylas | Polyommatus eros | Polyommatus escheri | Polyommatus eumedon | Polyommatus fabressei | Polyommatus glandon | Polyommatus hispanus | Polyommatus icarus | Polyommatus idas | Polyommatus loewii | Polyommatus nivescens | Polyommatus orbitulus | Polyommatus pylaon | Polyommatus pyrenaicus | Polyommatus ripartii | Polyommatus semiargus | Polyommatus thersites