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The Adonis Blue is a species of chalk downland, where it may be found in warm, sheltered spots. The male Adonis Blue has brilliantly-coloured blue wings that gives this butterfly its name, and can be found flying low over vegetation, seeking out the less-conspicuous females that are a rich chocolate brown in colour.
The distribution of this species follows the distribution of Horseshoe Vetch which, in turn, follows the distribution of chalk grassland. This species is therefore restricted to the south and east of England. This species lives in discrete colonies.
There are two broods each year. The first adult emergence is in the second half of May, peaking at the end of May and beginning of June. The second adult emergence is in the second half of August, peaking at the end of August and beginning of September.
This is a warmth-loving species, preferring sheltered, south-facing slopes. This species is found where the turf is closely-cropped, possibly because it provides a higher temperature for the immature stages or because this is a requirement for the ant species that attend the Adonis Blue larva and pupa. The loss of grazing by rabbits, for example, causes the sward to become overgrown and can render a site unsuitable for this species.
The primary larval foodplant is Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa).
Adults feed primarily on Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea).
The sexes are strongly dimorphic; the males being a magnificent electric blue, and the females being a chocolate brown. The adults live in concentrated colonies and appear to have limited powers of dispersal. However, on good sites, this species can be found by the hundred. This species can be found roosting communally at night.
Although far more consistent in colour and marking than its close relative the Chalkhill Blue, the Adonis Blue is a considerably variable butterfly nonetheless. In common with other members of the family, this species demonstrates much variation in the number, size and orientation of the underside spotting, ranging from the extremes of ab. Krodeli (absence of spotting to the underside) to heavily striated examples where the familiar spots are greatly extended into black streaks (ab. striata). The blue of the male upperside can also vary; in some examples there is a distinctly green tint to the wings (ab. viridescens) while others are sometimes of a pale shade (ab. pallida). A grey-blue colouration is known as ab. suffusa and examples where the typical blue colour is replaced by a blue-black shade are known as ab. nigra. The blue form of the female in which the blue scaling extends over the fore and hind wings obliterating the brown ground colour except along the costa and outer margins, and with orange lunules present on all wings is called ab. ceronus. Where the orange lunules are present on the hindwings only this is referred to as ab. semiceronus. The amount of blue on the female is subject to much variation and at first may appear random, with each 'blue female' appearing different from the next, however, once you start looking at these females closely you begin to see that the same traits do occur again and again, and all of a sudden the distribution of blue scales and development of the lunules is far from random but actually made up of a finite series of recognisable and repeating characteristics. It is these repeating characteristics that enables us to name these aberrations from descriptions made over a century ago. The blue aberrations of the female Adonis Blue are more frequently met with in the spring brood, suggesting an environmental trigger at the heart of these suffusions. Very rarely this species is known to hybridise with it's close relative the Chalkhill Blue, resulting in specimens that bare traits from each species and a colouration that appears (in the male) to be half way between each species in their typical forms. This butterfly is traditionally known as ab. polonus, although being a hybrid it is not an aberration as such at all. Strictly speaking it should probably be known as bellargus x coridon. It is well worth looking out for this hybrid at sites where both species fly together. Polonus is encountered within the spring brood of Adonis Blue. Gynandromorphs occur in this species but are rare. Occasionally female specimens will be found with strong streaks of male colouration on one or more wings (sexual mosaics or mixed gynandromorphs) and very rarely halved gynandromorphs are encountered where the butterfly exhibits male colouration on one side, and female colouration on the other, even on the abdomen. There are 109 named aberrations known to occur in Britain; a selection are described below.
ab. albicincta (Tutt) Occurs in the female. Upperside discoidal mark edged with white. ab. albo-ocellata (Tutt) Occurs on the underside. Underside spots white without black centres. The spots are all 'blind'. ab. argentea (Tutt) Occurs in the male. Upperside silver-grey. ab. caerulescens (Tutt) Occurs in the female. Upperside forewings blue from the base to beyond the discoidal spot. On the hindwings the blue extends from the centre to the orange marginal lunules. Orange lunules on the hindwings only. ab. caerulescens-marginata (Tutt) Occurs in the female. As caerulescens but with orange lunules on all four wings. ab. coelestis (Oberthur) Occurs in the female. All four wings entirely blue including the margins, costa and veins. Orange lunules on all four wings. ab. cuneo-lunulata (Tutt) Occurs in the female. Blue scaling at base of fore and hindwings. Orange lunules externally edged with blue. Blue wedges present on the internal edges of the lunules which are well developed on the hindwings. ab. czekelii (Aigner) Occurs in the male. Upperside blue-grey. ab. excelsia (Tutt) Occurs in the male. Upperside iridescent pearl-blue. ab. flavescens (Tutt, 1909) Occurs in the female. Female with marginal lunules yellow not the usual orange. ab. inita (Tutt) Occurs on the underside. Marginal chevrons grey instead of red. ab. krodeli (Gillmor) Occurs on the underside. On the underside of all wings the spots are entirely absent except for the discoidals. ab. lallemandi (Pionneau) Occurs in the female. As coelestis but with absence of any orange marginal lunules. ab. nigrescens (Tutt) Occurs in the female. Upperside blackish in colour. ab. obsoleta (Tutt) Occurs on the underside. Underside spots tending to obsolescence. ab. pallida (Mosley) Occurs in the male. Upperside pale lavender. ab. puncta (Tutt) Occurs in the male. Upperside hindwings with a row of well defined small black spots above the margin. ab. subtus-impunctata (Oberthur) Occurs on the underside. On the underside of the forewings the spots are small and reduced in number. On the hindwings the spots are entirely absent. ab. suffusa (Tutt) Occurs in the male. Upperside dark leaden-blue.
Eggs are laid singly, typically on the underside of terminal leaves of the foodplant. A preference is shown for small sprigs of foodplant growing in short turf. Eggs laid in May or June hatch in a week or two, whereas those laid in August and September can take several weeks longer.
The larvae are green with yellow stripes running along the length of the body. Unlike its close relative, the Chalkhill Blue, the larva of the Adonis Blue feeds by day. The larva has a Newcomer's gland in the 7th segment which provides secretions that are attractive to ants. This is a symbiotic relationship for, like many other blues, the Adonis Blue larva (and pupa) is afforded protection by the ants from parasites and other predators. Early instars feed by grazing on one side of the leaf, leaving the epidermis of the other side intact. When not feeding, the larva rests at the base of the foodplant, often on bare soil. Ants are known to bury the larva in a cell in the earth, where the ants continue to "milk" it for secretions. If not overwintering, this stage lasts around a month.
The pupa is formed on the ground, often in a small hollow or crevice. Ants are known to bury the pupa in a chamber in the earth that is connected to the ants' nest, where it is constantly attended by ants. This stage lasts around 3 weeks.
Brown ArgusDescription to be completed Chalkhill BlueThe female Adonis Blue is easily mistaken for a female Chalkhill Blue. Distinguishing the two is not at all easy. One guideline is that the pale scales on the hindwings, between the red dots and the white fringe, are blue in a female Adonis Blue, and white in a female Chalkhill Blue.
Common BlueThe male Adonis Blue is often mistaken for a male Common Blue. However, the two can be distinguished by looking at the white fringes of the wings. Only on the Adonis Blue do the fringes contain black bands.
Northern Brown ArgusDescription to be completed
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.
This butterfly is dependent on unimproved calcareous grassland and has suffered from both loss of habitat as well as inappropriate habitat management. It is therefore considered a species of conservation concern.
From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
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![Adonis Blue - aberration - Cotley Hill - 04-Jun-05 [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/431aff4410b908328211b8986cc22a54.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Cotley Hill - 04-Jun-05 [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Scratchbury Ring - 19-Jun-05 (2) [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/0fb51e4b820c5a6eb489f629c05c8652.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Scratchbury Ring - 19-Jun-05 (2) [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Unknown location - Unknown date (2) [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/6f2cede4c0344cb67859abf81ee24560.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Unknown location - Unknown date (2) [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Unknown location - Unknown date (3) [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/8ae65f5da427996ec567f8dfa0d26cb5.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Unknown location - Unknown date (3) [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Warminster - 28-Aug-06 (2) [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/f47c7937a95166c8dd7a9328de334e56.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Warminster - 28-Aug-06 (2) [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Warminster - 28-Aug-06 [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/bfbc26e314fa23c20151606f85d94adf.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Warminster - 28-Aug-06 [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Warminster - 29-May-07 [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/f3250fc2884984db22c2906a2d87b1e4.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Warminster - 29-May-07 [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Westbury Downs - 30-Aug-05 [Graham Smith]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/377fe1cd37b610ee97d1d5ed44ebd153.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Westbury Downs - 30-Aug-05 [Graham Smith]")
![Adonis Blue - imago - Fontmell Down - 22-Aug-08 [Mark Pike]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/77cd949e1424de35a22040eb059b0c91.jpg "Adonis Blue - imago - Fontmell Down - 22-Aug-08 [Mark Pike]")
![Adonis Blue - aberration - Fontmell Down - 16-Aug-09 [Mark Pike]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/d1ef6a15ed4e839fb181b78991e9f98c.jpg "Adonis Blue - aberration - Fontmell Down - 16-Aug-09 [Mark Pike]")
![Adonis Blue - ovum - Godlingstone Hill - 90 [Tim Norriss]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/836e1089cf13e3596d1db56524514010.jpg "Adonis Blue - ovum - Godlingstone Hill - 90 [Tim Norriss]")
![Adonis Blue - pupa - Thatcham - 06-Oct-04 [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/612534080dffeea10a79729bd44ed836.jpg "Adonis Blue - pupa - Thatcham - 06-Oct-04 [REARED]")
