Adonis blue butterfly
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Adonis blue butterfly
Invertebrate
A stunningly bright butterfly found exclusively on the chalk hills of southern England.
💡 Fun Facts
- The males have brilliantly bright blue wings, while the females are brown.
- Their caterpillars secrete a sugary liquid that attracts ants, which then protect the caterpillar from predators!
- They only live in chalk downlands where horseshoe vetch grows.
📅 Through the Year
- Active:May to September
Name Story
Polyommatus bellargus
means “Many-eyed, beautiful Argus”
What does its name mean?
- Polyommatus — many-eyedGreek polys 'many' + omma 'eye'
- bellargus — beautiful ArgusLatin bellus 'beautiful' + the Greek giant Argus, who had a hundred eyes
Turn this little butterfly's wings over and you'll find rings of tiny 'eyes' dotted across them — and its name remembers Argus, a giant from old Greek tales who had a hundred eyes. The male's upper wings shine a dazzling sky-blue.