Common Blue

About this butterfly

The Common Blue is a small grassland butterfly found across much of Europe. Males are bright blue above, while females are brown with orange lunules and a variable wash of blue. It flies from April to October in several generations, on meadows, verges, dunes and other open grassland. Adults take nectar from trefoils, knapweeds and other low flowers. Bird's-foot Trefoil is the main larval host, with medicks, restharrow and clovers also used. Males patrol low over the turf in sunshine. The species remains widespread where flower-rich grassland survives. Intensive farming reduces both nectar and host plants. It is a familiar summer insect of European meadows rather than a woodland specialist.