Males have beautiful, brilliant sky-blue wings, while the females are brown. A characteristic butterfly of unimproved chalk downland in southern England.
This beautiful butterfly is one of the most characteristic species of southern chalk downland, where it flies low over shortly grazed turf.
The males have brilliant sky-blue wings, while the females are brown and far less conspicuous. Both sexes have distinctive black lines that enter or cross the white fringes to the wings. Despite its restricted distribution, the butterfly can be seen in many hundreds on good sites.
It has undergone a major decline through its entire range, but has recently re-expanded in some regions.
Size and Family
Family – Blues
Small/Medium Sized
Wing Span Range (male to female) - 38mm
Conservation status
UK BAPNot listed (formerly Priority)
Butterfly Conservation priorityMedium
European statusNot threatened
Protected In Great Britain for sale only
Caterpillar Foodplant
The sole foodplant is Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa).
Distribution
Countries – England
Restricted to southern England, but not in far south-west
Distribution Trend Since 1970’s = -19%
Habitat
Dry chalk or limestone grassland with abundant foodplants in short turf, but slightly taller vegetation may be used in sheltered quarries. Most colonies occur on warm, south-facing slopes where favoured breeding areas are sheltered hollows (especially old chalk pits and quarries).
