A-Z of butterflies

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Brown Argus - Photograph by Jim AsherNBN Map - Brown ArgusMap courtesy of National Biodiversity Network (NBN)View full NBN Gateway profile

Brown Argus

A small butterfly, widespread in England and Wales. Brown with row of orange spots on outer wing edges. Very similar to Northern Brown Argus which usually has no orange spots on forewing. Female Common Blues are similar but have blue dusting near body.

ResidentBrown Argus - Photograph by Jim Asher

Range expanding.

This small butterfly is characteristic of southern chalk and limestone grassland but occurs in a variety of other open habitats as far north as north Wales and Yorkshire. It is a close relative of the Northern Brown Argus, which is restricted to Scotland and northern England.

The adults have a silvery appearance as they fly low to the ground and they stop frequently either to perch or feed on flowers. They may be confused with Common Blue females, which also have brown upperwings but usually with some blue at the base.

The butterfly spread rapidly in the mid-1990s but lost ground in the last three years of the twentieth century.


Conservation status

  • UK BAP status: not listed
  • Butterfly Conservation priority: low
  • European threat status: not threatened


European/world range

Widespread and common across Europe as far north as Denmark and southern Sweden, across to the Middle East and Siberia, and also in North Africa. It has declined in a few western European countries.


Foodplants

Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium) is used almost exclusively on calcareous grassland. In other habitats it uses annual foodplants, mainly Dove's-foot Crane's-bill (Geranium molle) and Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium). There are also recent reports of egg-laying on Cut-leaved Crane's-bill (G. dissectum), Meadow Crane's-bill (G. pratense), and Hedgerow Crane's-bill (G. pyrenaicum).


Habitat

The butterfly's traditional habitats are chalk and limestone grassland, but it also occurs in a range of other habitats with disturbed soils, including: coastal grassland and dunes, woodland clearings, heathland, disused railway lines, road verges, and more recently set-aside fields. Sheltered sites or slopes facing south or west are preferred.