Holly Blue Butterfly

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Holly blue - Celastrina arigiolus.jpg
Scientific Name: 
Celastrina argiolus
Wingspan: 
32 mm
Description: 

Both male and female have blue upperwings although the females is slightly lighter they both have a chequered fringe. The male has a narrow dark margin, but it is more extensive on the female and even more so on the second brood. The Underwing is a pale whitish blue with small dark spots.

Distribution: 

The Holly Blue is widespread, but undergoes large fluctuations in numbers from year to year. It has expanded northwards in recent years and has colonized parts of midland and northern England.

Habitat: 

The Holly Blue occurs in a wide range of habitats, including hedgerows, field margins, woodland rides, gardens, and parks, including those in urban and suburban areas. In England, it often breeds in churchyards, many of which have Holly and Ivy. In Ireland, it is limited mainly to deciduous woods with Holly and, occasionally, country gardens.

Diet: 
<p> The Holly Blue larvae feed predominantly on the flower buds, berries, and terminal leaves of Holly in the spring generation, and Ivy in the summer generation. The spring generation can complete larval development entirely on leaves of male Holly bushes, although female bushes are preferred. They also use a wide variety of other wild and garden plants including Spindle, Dogwoods  Snowberries Gorse and Bramble, </p>
Status: 
  • UK Biodiversity Action Pal: not listed
  • Butterfly Conservation priority: low
  • European threat status: not threatened
  • Protected in Northern Ireland