Silver Studded Blue

Plebejus Argus

Family Lycaenidae

• Colouring – Blue with dark border and the underside of their wings, Brown and grey with black spots.
• Life span – June through to August.
• Native – British butterfly.
• Caterpillar colour – Green.
• Caterpillar eggs to caterpillar – Approx 6 weeks.
• Food for the caterpillar – Gorses, bell heather, crossed-leaved heather.
• Food for the butterfly – Gorses, bell heather, crossed-leaved heather.

Special features

Second smallest butterfly in the UK. The female Silver Studded Blue will mostly lays her eggs close by a black ants nest. When the little caterpillars hatch, the ants will carry them inside their nests. Then the ants farm them by milking them for their sugars and amino acids. They then carry the caterpillars at dusk taking them outside the nest to feed, and carrying them back to the ants nest afterwards. They are protected by the ants against predators until they begin to pupate. Amazing!