WILD ANGLE

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The common blue butterfly

by Brian Pike

The sixty or so species of butterfly found in the UK include several ‘blues’, although in most cases, including the common blue, it’s only the male that has conspicuously blue wings – the females are predominantly mousy brown. In both sexes the undersides of the wings – seen when the insect is at rest – are a silvery beige studded with an intricate pattern of black, white and orange ‘eyes’.

As its name suggests, the common blue is widespread throughout the British Isles, although it is less frequently seen in gardens than some of our more familiar butterflies such as tortoiseshells, red admirals and peacock butterflies.

The reason lies in the preferred food plants of the common blue’s caterpillars, which include bird’s-foot-trefoil, black medick, white clover and common restharrow. These are plants of rough open grassland, heaths, coastal dunes, woodland clearings, roadside verges and waste ground, which is where you’re most likely to find these gemlike little butterflies on a sunny summer’s afternoon.

The common blue’s caterpillars are mid-green with yellow stripes. Like other ‘blues’ they produce a sweet, honeydew-like liquid which is irresistible to ants. To protect this valuable food supply the ants will defend the caterpillars against potential predators, hence increasing their chances of survival.