Common Blue vs Kolev'S Anomalous Blue

Polyommatus icarus compared with Polyommatus orphicus

Key Differences

• Common Blue is Least Concern while Kolev'S Anomalous Blue is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Blue	Kolev'S Anomalous Blue
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family same	Lycaenidae	Lycaenidae
Genus same	Polyommatus	Polyommatus
Species	Polyommatus icarus	Polyommatus orphicus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Blue and Kolev'S Anomalous Blue share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Polyommatus.

Conservation Status

Common Blue

LC — Least Concern

Kolev'S Anomalous Blue

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Blue	Kolev'S Anomalous Blue
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Blue

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus), Europe (40 countries), and North America (United States).

Kolev'S Anomalous Blue

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Blue

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇬🇷 Greece 🇲🇰 North Macedonia