| Actual Image
Holly blue (44)
Gert-Paassen
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1219 W: 2 N: 4605]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (13922) | Today another butterfly.its a female from the Holly blue.
Latin name - Celastrina argiolus
Holly Blue
Celastrina argiolus
Distribution: North Africa and Europe except N UK and N Scandinavia. Currently expanding northwards, in the UK at least.
Identification: Fairly distinctive with small blue points on an shiny silvery blue underside ground colour. Resembles the Small and Short Tailed Blues but the silver- blue underside is unique to C. argiolus. The silvery blue undersides are noticeable distinct in flight. Its habit of flying around bushes is also an aid to identification.
There is marked sexual dimorphism. The male has a fine black border on the upperside, in the female this is very broad. Broadness in the female varies from location to location and is generally greater in the summer broods. These broad borders are clearly visible in flight.
Flight time: Flies in two or three broods. One of the first butterflies to emerge in spring it can be found in April/early June, July/August and then, in lower numbers, September/October. Amazingly I found a perfect male on 20th January 2007 in Switzerland following exceptionally warm December and January. I don't think he would have had much chance of finding a mate so far out of season.
Habitat: Diverse but usually bushy or woodland areas. Often in gardens. Larvae are polyphagous taking diverse plants, usually bushes. The larvae eat the developing flowers or seeds. In the UK at least there is seasonal preference for larval food plant - Holly being preferred in spring and Ivy in the summer.
Behaviour: Unusually for the blues, it is typically seen flying around shrubs, bushes and trees, rather than around grass and flowers. It rarely opens its wings when at rest, being slightly more likely to do so in cooler conditions. |
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