Blues & Coppers

Family: LYCAENNIDAE

A family of small but beautifully ornate delightful butterflies, consisting mainly of the Blues, the Small Copper and the reintroduced Large Copper (only found on a nature reserve in Cambridgeshire), and the Hairstreaks. Only three Blues are found in Lincolnshire (including the non-blue coloured Brown Argus, seen on site for the first time in 2003 and flourishing since). Hopefully the title of this page can soon be altered to Blues, Coppers, & Hairstreaks if we can encourage the White-letter/Purple and/or Green Hairstreaks to our site.

SMALL COPPER Lycaena phlaeas

CURRENT STATUS breeds with us but a bit patchy as yet. Target species for protection. LARVAL FOODPLANT sorrels, and also dock seedlings. FAVOURED NECTAR PLANTS Marjoram; hemp agrimony; tansy; fleabane; devil's-bit scabious; mint; Michaelmas daisy; ice plant; verbena bonariensis; buddleia - inc. globosa WHEN SEEN May - June, July - September, September - October in two or three broods. SPECIALIST REQUIREMENTS Currently the main concern is keeping a healthy abundance of common and sheep's sorrel going - we don't really want to have to rely on docks!

COMMON BLUE Polyommatus icarus

The sexes of the Common Blue are totally distinct to look at - only the male is all-over blue, the female appearing to be a totally different species. Despite its name, it is not really a common butterfly - just the most common of the Blues and can be found in hundreds in healthy colonies, although they remain highly localised.

The underside markings are very ornate, and it is hard to imagine that when resting head down on grass or seed heads in dull weather and at night, theses butterflies become effectively camouflaged - but they do: from a distance the bobbing shapes appear to be grass heads.

CURRENT STATUS Has bred on site since 1998 and has established a healthy colony. LARVAL FOODPLANT Bird's-foot trefoil, clover. FAVOURED NECTAR PLANTS Bird's-foot trefoil; marjoram; clover; devil's-bit scabious; tansy; osteospermum. WHEN SEEN Late May - July; August and September. SPECIALIST REQUIREMENTS Ensuring the foodpalnt does not become overgrown by more competitive plants, and that it is widespread and abundant throughout the site, especially the more open, low growing grassy areas which suit the butterfly best.

HOLLY BLUE Celastrina argiolus

This Blue behaves more like a Hairstreak in as much that it favours trees and shrubs to open countryside. It is generally found around holly trees and bushes but not exclusively. It wanders more than other Blues, which may explain it's presence in this locality, which is not really suited to this woodland butterfly. The female is pictured on the left, showing the distictive black border to the wings (discernible even in flight), which is lacking in the male who appears similar to the male Common Blue apart from being more of a sky blue shade. The underside lacks the typical Blue family mosaic, being a silvery grey with just a scattering of black dots.

CURRENT STATUS Very up and down (typical of this species.) Common some years, totally absent in others. LARVAL FOODPLANT In our Derbyshire garden the caterpillars fed from the developing berries of various shrubs: holly, ivy, snowberry, and possibly bramble and hawthorn. Here, they appear to be mainly using dogwood and perhaps alder buckthorn. FAVOURED NECTAR PLANTS Bramble; hemp agrimony; forget-me-not; marjoram; buddleia. WHEN SEEN April - June; July and August. SPECIALIST REQUIREMENTS Difficult due to its infamous national population peaks and troughs. At least we can now offer this species a suitable habitat now that the woodland areas are developing.

BROWN ARGUS Aricia agestis

A total surprise sighting in September 03 when a definite male was observed in the meadow area, chasing Common Blues and Small Coppers. No known colonies in the area, so it only goes to show - a wandering female earlier in the season must have laid eggs nearby and this was the result. Since then a few more were seen in 2004. Numbers continued to grow until the devastating summer of 2007 when I considered all was lost with this species, yet it bounced back with a vengeance the following year. Isn't nature wonderful!

Neither sex of the Brown Argus (top) has any blue on its wings whatsoever, and can easily be mistaken for a female Common Blue (right).

CURRENT STATUS Special rarity: first seen as a singleton in 2003, a few since. LARVAL FOODPLANT Most likely some species of wild cranesbill. FAVOURED NECTAR PLANTS Marjoram, bird's-foot trefoil. WHEN SEEN June - July; August and September. SPECIALIST REQUIREMENTS Too soon to say. If the numbers increase, we will have to study its requirements in depth.