Scientific name: Cupido Minimus   Common name: Small Blue

About:

 The small blue is not just small in size but also in numbers. This butterfly ,although widespread across Britain and Ireland,  has small colonies and also are much more rare to see than the butterflies seen previously on this list due to their decreasing population size. This has lead to the UK listing this species as a 'priority species' however this is not the case for its European status. In the south of the UK it will have  two broods each year with the second one being smaller than the first however in the north they will only have 1 brood.

        Key Information:

Wingspan: 16-30mm

Habitat: Coastal grasslands and embankments

When to see: May to August

Family: Lycaenidae 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Biological rank: Species

Fun Fact: When first hatched these caterpillars are cannibalistic, eating any small larvae they my cross paths with. This lasts from the 1st until the 4th instar when the caterpillars finally cocoon 

How to Identify: 

These butterflies , both male and female, have dark brown upper wings and the males also have a small amount of blue scattered around the body area. They both also share a similar type of underwing which is a silver colour mixed with many black dots , the males also have a blue-ish body.