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Blue Butterfly

I would like to know the name of this small butterfly seen yesterday and what it would feed on?

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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,612

    Small blue butterfly is probably a Holly Blue. it feeds on Holly flowers and forgetme nots and lays its eggs on Ivy, Holly, and brambles which the caterpillars eat.

  • Is there a picture?

     

  • Why not a Common Blue?

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,612

    Common blue is larger than Holly blue. Holly blue is found in southern half of British isles, wheras common blue is found all over.

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,612

    www.ukbutterflies.co.uk is a good id site

  • fidget,

    Sorry, is there a picture of jaries' butterfly that isn't coming up on my screen?

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    If there is I can't see it Joe. 



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Which is why I wonder about fidget's conclusion about the butterfly's identity. No picture, no description and no location = no identification.

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,612

    Maybe jaries could look at  ukbutterflies.co.uk and tell us which is nearer to what he saw. I  did say probably , based on "small blue butterfly" but without a photo. ID is uncertain.  I can never get a photo of holly blues because they rarely settle, always flitting about.

  • I just wondered why you decided on Holly Blue. All blue butterflies are 'small' relative to, say, the Vanessids. If you said to me 'What's this medium sized black bird?', it could be blackbird, chough, grackle depending on exact description and location.

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