Polyommatus celina (Austaut, 1879)

Host plants:
The larvae feed on various Fabaceae species, often Lotus, Medicago or Trifolium. I recorded oviposition on Lotus lancerottensis in Lanzarote island and on Trifolium subterraneum in Sicily.

Habitat:
Polyommatus celina inhabits all possible places with host plants. In Lanzarote it is often found along roads or in ditches with more humidity. In Sicily I recorded Polyommatus celina everywhere where host plants grew, especially on grassy slopes.

Life cycle:
The adults occur year-round in the south, but should have a break in winter between December and February in the European sites.

Remarks:
Polyommatus celina occurs in N-Africa, the eastern islands of the Canaries, Sicily, the Baleares and the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. It is genetically different from the closely related P. icarus. But it would also be possible considering the taxon as a subspecies.

Literature:
Wiemers, M., Stradomsky, B. V. & D. I. Vodolazhsky (2010): A molecular phylogeny of Polyommatus s. str. and Plebicula based on mitochondrial COI and nuclear ITS2 sequences (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).- European Journal of Entomology 107: 325–336.