This is an extremely local
species, if a species at all. It is found only on a couple of mountains
of northern Greece where it spills across the Bulgarian border a short
distance. It flies above the tree line. It looks almost impossibly
similar to the A. ripartii, Ripart's Anomalous Blue, which flies
just a little lower down the same mountains and throughout the region.
Allegedly the fringes are slightly whiter in this species but this is rather subjective
amongst these variable species.
However, in Bulgaria in 2004 I found two males with pure white
upperside hindwing fringes. This I believe is undoubtedly
nephohiptamenos. They had a rather smaller andriconal patch when
compared with the Greek Anomalous Blue, A. aroanensis which were
flying nearby at the tree line. Unfortunately they wouldn't settled in
the sun with wings open so the only photo I have is of the male above as
it roosted at the end of the day.
The photographs from Mt
Phalakron were taken above the tree line - I'm not sure these are nephohiptamenos
but this
is supposedly the sole representative of this genus above the tree line. There were
quite a number of them flying so it is rather disappointing I only have
these two photographs of females. However, the few males I did see
didn't have the bright white borders of those I found in Bulgaria.
