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The small blue (Cupido minimus) is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Despite its common name, it is not particularly blue. The male has some bluish suffusion at the base of its upper wings but is mostly dark brown like the female. The species can live in colonies of up to several hundred and in its caterpillar stage is cannibalistic.
The list comprises butterfly species listed in The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Emmet et al. [1] and Britain's Butterflies by Tomlinson and Still. [2] A study by NERC in 2004 found there has been a species decline of 71% of butterfly species between 1983 and 2003. [3]
Lycaenidae, a family of butterflies Polyommatinae, a subfamily consisting of the blue butterflies Common blue (Polyommatus icarus) Large blue (Phengaris arion) Small blue (Cupido minimus) Euphilotes, a subfamily consisting of blue butterflies El Segundo Blue (Euphilotes battoides) Blue morpho (disambiguation), several species in the genus Morpho
The common blue butterfly or European common blue [3] (Polyommatus icarus) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings.
Along with its wingspan, the Polyommatinae is a small butterfly. [2] There are only 38 total species within the Polyommatinae sub family, with only two being from Europe. [7] Most species of the Polyommatinae are found on the eastern side of the United States. [2] Male Polyommantinae blue butterflies possess a complex system of androconia.
The chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, [1] where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk. [2] Males have a pale blue colour, while females are brown. [3] Both have chequered fringes around their wings. [4] Aberrant male
Small blue – Cupido minimus EN Few regions. Restricted to coastal dunes, limestone grasslands and quarries. Common blue – Polyommatus icarus LC The Irish subspecies is mariscolore (Kane, 1893) Holly blue – Celastrina argiolus LC Found across most of Ireland having spread significantly north and west.
In these small butterflies the upperside of the wings is blue-purple in males, brown in females (sexual dimorphism). The wing edge is black, with a white fringe. The underface of the wings is pale blue-gray, with a series of small black spots encircled with clearer blue. On the underside hindwings usually there is no orange.