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Adonis Blue - Photograph by Jim AsherNBN Map - Adonis BlueMap courtesy of National Biodiversity Network (NBN)View full NBN Gateway profile

Adonis Blue (Female)

A small rare butterfly of chalk and limestone grassland. Females brown with row of red spots with blue-edges on hindwing, males are blue. Unlike Common Blue, the Adonis has dark veins extending into white wing margin.

ResidentAdonis Blue by Jim Asher

Range declining in some areas, recovering in others

This beautiful butterfly is one of the most characteristic species of southern chalk downland, where it flies low over short-grazed turf.

The males have brilliant sky-blue wings, while the females are brown and far less conspicuous. Both sexes have distinctive black lines that enter or cross the white fringes to the wings. Despite its restricted distribution, the butterfly can be seen in many hundreds on good sites.

It has undergone a major decline through its entire range, but has recently re-expanded in some regions.

Conservation status

  • UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Not listed (formerly Priority)
  • Butterfly Conservation priority: medium
  • European threat status: not threatened
  • Protected in Great Britain for sale only

European/world range

Across Europe from southern Spain to Lithuania (not in Scandinavia) and east across Russia. Declining in many northern European countries but more stable in south.

Foodplants

The sole foodplant is Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa).

Habitat

Dry, chalk or limestone grassland with abundant foodplants growing in short turf 1–4 cm tall, except in sheltered quarries where slightly taller vegetation may be used. Most colonies occur on warm, south-facing slopes where favoured breeding areas are often sheltered hollows, especially old chalk pits and quarries.