Polyommatus ripartii (Freyer, 1830)

Host plants:
Onobrychis species (sainfoin)

Habitat:
Polyommatus ripartii inhabits grasslands, steppe slopes, clear dry scrub and similar sites with Onobrychis.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar can be found from April to June. I found mostly half-grown caterpillars in Northern Greece Askio mountains in late May. The butterflies occur from late June to mid-August.

Endangerment factors:
Polyommatus ripartii is locally threatened by the usual factors (habitat loss due to human activities, as well as succession and reforestation after abandonment of extensive grazing).

Remarks:
Polyommatus ripartii is distributed very disjoint: Northern Spain, Southwestern Alps (Provence, maritime Alps), southern Poland, southern Balkans, Turkey, from the southern Urals to the Altai Mountains.