Holly Blue

Lycaenidae
FamilyLycaenidae
Scientific NameCelastrina argiolus
RangeEurope, Asia, North Africa
HabitatGardens, woodlands

About the Holly Blue

A pale blue butterfly often seen flying high around hedges and gardens. It has two broods a year in Britain, with spring caterpillars feeding mainly on holly and summer ones on ivy. Its numbers rise and fall in cycles, likely driven by a parasitic wasp that attacks its caterpillars. It is usually the first blue butterfly to appear in spring.

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