Turanana endymion

Turanana endymion, the odd-spot blue or Anatolian odd-spot blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It was described by Christian Friedrich Freyer in 1850. It is found in Turkey, Lebanon and Iran.^[1] Records from Europe refer to Turanana taygetica.

Turanana endymion
Male and female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Turanana
Species:	T. endymion
Binomial name
Turanana endymion (Freyer, 1850)
Synonyms
Papilio endymion Freyer, 1850 Lycaena panagaea Herrich-Schäffer, [1851] Actizera panagaea Glaucopsyche panagaea Turanana panagea Lycaena endymion Freyer, 1852 Lycaena panagaea ahasveros Bytinski-Salz & Brandt, 1937

The length of the forewings is 10–12 mm. The ground colour of the upperside of the wings is blue with blackish marginal borders. The underside ground colour is light grey brown.

Description in Seitz

L. panagaea H.-Schdff. (= endymion Frr.) (79 b). Above like a small alcedo [ Kretania alcedo (Christoph, 1877)]; male blue with a very broad black margin; female black-brown. At once recognized by the underside, on which the fourth spot of the discal row of ocelli of the forewing, which stands before the upper median vein, is shifted towards the outer margin, being entirely removed from the row. — Syria and Asia Minor, especially near Amasia, also in Armenia, Persia and Turkestan, from June till August, in damp localities, not rare.^[2]

The larvae feed on Acantholimon species.

Subspecies

• Turanana endymion endymion (eastern Asiatic Turkey, Lebanon)
• Turanana endymion ahasveros (Bytinski-Salz & Brandt, 1937) (Iran: Elburz Mountains)