Silver-studded blue

Plebejus argus bellus

A small blue with a wingspan of 26-32 mm, resembles the northern, males being bright blue while females a dark brown with orange spots; there are silver markings on the hindwings, hence the name. The silver-studded lives in a variety of habitats, such as farmland, marshes, and dry to damp grassland. Host plants include restharrows (Ononis spp.), birdsfoot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), crown-vetches (Coronilla spp.), vetchlings (Lathyrus spp.), vetches (Vicia spp.), clovers (Trifolium spp.), and yellow sunrose (Helianthemum nummularium). It flies May through August, the flight close to the ground and rarely far from their host plants.

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Photographs

male