About Pseudophilotes baton vicrama (Moore, 1865)
This entry originally published in Seitz describes the taxon now known as Pseudophilotes baton vicrama (Moore, 1865), previously treated as L. baton Bgstr. (with synonyms amphion Esp., hylas Schiff.). The upperside of the wings is blackish; males are more or less dusted with blue, the forewing has a distinct discocellular spot, and the fringes are spotted. On the underside, there are numerous ocelli on a leaden grey background, and the ocelli are larger on the forewing. The forewing usually has ocelli even near the base. In typical specimens, the hindwing has red-yellow spots before the margin. The nominal form occurs across Central and Southern Europe, excluding England, ranging from Pomerania and the Baltic Provinces to the Mediterranean, and from Belgium to Central Asia (Altai).
An aberrant form very similar to true baton on the underside but lacking the reddish yellow anal spots occurs singly throughout the range of ordinary baton, and is especially plentiful in Southern Europe; this is ab. panoptes Hbn. (= argus minutus Esp.). This form is now classified as the full species Pseudophilotes panoptes (Hübner, [1813]). A similar form found in Spain and North Africa, abencerragus Pier., is characterized by the absence of the reddish yellow submarginal band on the underside of the hindwing, a purer pale dust-grey tint on the underside of the hindwing, and ocelli that are distinct but very fine; the upperside has very uniform colour. This form is now classified as the full species Pseudophilotes abencerragus (Pierret, 1837). A very small dwarf form, collected frequently in spring on the arid, almost desert-like southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains, is less than half the size of the common abencerragus of Northern Algeria; this was described as the new form famelica. In Anterior Asia, males have brighter colour that often carries a silvery white sheen; this is clara Christ., now treated as a subspecies of Pseudophilotes vicrama.
vicrama Moore, originating from Afghanistan, now treated as the full species Pseudophilotes vicrama (Moore, 1865), lacks a distinct discocellular spot on the upperside of the forewing, and also lacks dark marginal dots on the upperside of the hindwing. cashmirensis Moore, from Kashmir, now treated as a subspecies of Pseudophilotes vicrama, has a distinct black discocellular spot on the upperside of the forewing like European forms; additionally, the forewing has whitish marginal lunules and dark veins, and the hindwing has marginal dots.
The larva is strongly carinate laterally, with somewhat swollen segments. It is light green with a blackish head and rosy-red pear-shaped dorsal spots divided by a purple dorsal line, accompanied laterally by white dots; the stigmata are white. It is active in April and again in July, found on Thymus, particularly on the flowers; in captivity it often attacks other caterpillars. The pupa is roundish, obtuse, and smooth, it is clay-yellow with darker wing cases, and it develops on the ground.
Adult butterflies are on the wing in May and again in August and September. They frequent very sunny grassy hills and slopes, woodland clearings, and broad sunny roads. They usually fly very short distances and settle on grasses and the tops of herbage with the wings half open and widely separated. Their flight is slow, somewhat hopping, and the butterflies are not shy. While they occur more singly in Central Europe, they are extremely common in Southern Europe and North Africa, where they often fly in great abundance. In the extreme east of their distribution range, in Kashmir, they are restricted to local areas but are very common, as reported by Butler. Known host plants for larvae include thyme, Clinopodium acinos, lavender, and Mentha.
