COUNTRY LIFE
Playing the blues:
identifying blue butterflies:
Common Blue:
This is a small blue butterfly
which flies throughout the summer
between April and October. The most
widespread of the blue butterflies,
it is found in a variety of habitats
including heathland, woodland rides,
grassy meadows, parks and even large
gardens.
Chalkhill Blue:
This butterfly is found on the chalk
grasslands of southern England. The
males are the more conspicuous as
they fly searching for the more secretive
females. The males are silvery blue with
a dark brown/black border and a white
fringe on the wings. The females are
brown with a white fringe to the wings
and a blue dusting near the body. They
are one of the largest blue butterflies
found in Britain.
Photo: Chalk Hill Blue by Micky Pape
Large Blue:
Despite its name, the Large Blue is
actually a fairly small butterfly but the
largest of our blues. Adults fly for a very
short period from the end of June to
the beginning of July. Always rare in
the UK, it declined dramatically during
the 20th century and became extinct
in 1979. Small populations are now
surviving in the south of England.
Photo: Y oung naturalists by Lianne de Mello
Photo: Large Blue butterfly by Keith Warmington
Adonis Blue:
The Adonis blue is the rarest of the
blue butterflies in the UK. It’s found on
sunny, south-facing grassland rich in
herbs. The Adonis Blue larvae have a
symbiotic relationship with ants, who
provide protection from predation in
return for sweet secretions from the
larvae’s ‘honey glands’.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife
Trust, working for a better future for
wildlife and wild places in Hampshire
and the Island.
Phone: 01489 774 400
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.hiwwt.org.uk
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife
Trust, Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane,
Curdridge, Hampshire, SO32 2DP
June/July 2016_MASTER .indd 77
Photo: Common Blue butterfly by Natalie Rogers
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