chalkhill blue butterfly

E383351

The chalkhill blue butterfly is a small, pale blue lycaenid butterfly of chalk and limestone grasslands in Europe, known for its strong association with specific ant species and its dependence on short, flower-rich turf.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
chalkhill blue butterfly canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf animal ⓘ
arthropod ⓘ
butterfly ⓘ
insect ⓘ
species ⓘ
antAssociation Lasius alienus ⓘ
linked to: Lasius

Lasius niger ⓘ
antAssociationType mutualistic tending of larvae by ants ⓘ
association myrmecophilous relationship with ants ⓘ
behavior males form leks on slopes and ridges ⓘ
males patrol for females over short turf ⓘ
broodsPerYear one ⓘ
class Insecta ⓘ
commonName chalkhill blue ⓘ
conservationMeasure maintenance of traditional grazing on chalk grassland ⓘ
conservationStatus least concern ⓘ
describedBy Johann Christian von Schreber ⓘ
distinguishingFeature occurs mainly on calcareous grassland with horseshoe vetch ⓘ
pale silvery-blue males with broad dark borders ⓘ
family Lycaenidae ⓘ
flightPeriod July to September ⓘ
genus Polyommatus ⓘ
geographicDistribution British Isles (southern England) ⓘ
linked to: British Isles

Europe ⓘ
central Europe ⓘ
southern Europe ⓘ
linked to: Southern Europe
habitat chalk grassland ⓘ
limestone grassland ⓘ
habitatRequirement short flower-rich turf ⓘ
kingdom Animalia ⓘ
larvalAdaptation larvae secrete sugary substances attractive to ants ⓘ
larvalFoodPlant Hippocrepis comosa ⓘ
larvalFoodPlantCommonName horseshoe vetch ⓘ
lifeCycle holometabolous ⓘ
order Lepidoptera ⓘ
overwintersAs egg ⓘ
phylum Arthropoda ⓘ
scientificName Polyommatus coridon ⓘ
sexualDimorphism present ⓘ
similarSpecies Adonis blue ⓘ
common blue ⓘ
subfamily Polyommatinae ⓘ
taxonRank species ⓘ
threat intensive agriculture ⓘ
loss of unimproved chalk grassland ⓘ
scrub encroachment ⓘ
wingColorFemale brown with blue suffusion ⓘ
wingColorMale pale blue ⓘ
wingPattern dark borders and white fringes ⓘ
wingspan 30–36 mm ⓘ
yearDescribed 1775 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Box Hill → supportsSpecies → chalkhill blue butterfly ⓘ