Silver Studded Blue

ADULT: Wingspan 26 - 32mm. The deep blue wings of the males with darker borders and white fringing are very distinct with the females being generally bronwer. Both sexes possess metallic silvery blue spots on the underside of the hindwings which are more or less typically 'blue' in design. These spots are located within the darker areas just behind the orange markings (see Fig 1). CHRYSALIS: Greenish in colour and located within ants nests. LARVA: Up to 1.3cm in length, and is brown through to green in colour with a dark stripe along the back, and white stripes along the sides. The variety of foodplants consist of Heathers, Gorses, Horseshoe Vetch, Thyme or Rock Rose. EGG: A white flattish disc covered in small pimples and located on the chosen foodplant. BEHAVIOUR: Not the greatest of flyers and very rarely strays far from where they emerge. HABITAT: Heathlands, grasslands, dunes and quarries. FLIGHT PERIOD: June to early August.