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Field Notes

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, May 2005

Alpes de Haute Provence, France, August 2005

Valais, Switzerland, June 2003

Male taking nectar from the larval food plant Anthyllis vulneraria

Valais, Switzerland, June 2003

The white underside marginal patches can be seen

Provence, France, August 2003

Typical encounter of a male taking salts at damp ground.

Massif Central, France, July 2003

Pelopennesos, Greece, June 2002

My only confirmed photo of a female - brown uppersides

Macedonia, Greece, July 2000

I've find this species easily over the years in diverse places such as low hills to high mountain pastures and everything in between but usually associated with damp patches and open grassy flowery places. The males are dazzlingly bright blue. They often form a small part of any patch of blues taking salts at damp earth. They are equally likely to be found feeding on any range of flowers. Females are rarer than the males and if found at all at a site they usually number only one or two.

The underside margins are key to identifying this species. The white patches that may or may not be broken by the veins are characteristic. 

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