Polyommatus atlantica

Polyommatus atlantica, the Atlas blue,^[1] is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was described by Henry John Elwes in 1905. It is found in North Africa.^[3]

Polyommatus atlantica
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Polyommatus
Species:	P. atlantica
Binomial name
Polyommatus atlantica (Elwes, 1905)[2]
Synonyms
Lycaena hylas var. atlantica Elwes, 1905 Plebicula atlantica Plebicula atlantica weissi Dujardin, 1977 Plebicula atlantica f. rosea Tennent, 1994

The larvae feed on Anthyllis vulneraria.

It has the highest number of chromosomes in the non-polyploid eukaryotic organisms (2n = circa 448–452.)

Subspecies

• Polyommatus atlantica weissi (Morocco: High Atlas)
• Polyommatus atlantica weissi (Dujardin, 1977) (Morocco: Middle Atlas)
• Polyommatus atlantica barraguei Dujardin, 1977 (Algeria: Djurdjura, Aures Mountains)