Adonis Blue

Habitat: Usually dry grassy areas, often with scrub and on calcareous soils.

Appearance: Found in large parts of Europe, from the Mediterranean coast and European Turkey to southern England and Lithuania. Very localised and rare in Belgium, occurring only in the far south. Not found in the Netherlands.

Flight period: Two generations, mid-May/June and late July/mid-September.

Characteristics: Wingspan 27-32 mm.

Life cycle: Host plants are horseshoe vetch and crownvetch. Eggs are laid on the leaves so that the hatching caterpillars have their food source immediately available. It overwinters as a young caterpillar. The caterpillar often pupates under a stone or between moss/litter at the entrance to an ant nest. Adult butterflies feed on nectar from various flowers, which they need as a source of energy and, in the case of females, to produce eggs.