
Male, Switzerland, June 2008

Female, Switzerland, June 2008

Male, Switzerland, June 2008

Male, Switzerland, June 2008

Female, Switzerland, June 2008
This lovely blue is similar to its congeners, the idas blue,
silver-studded blue and zephyr blue. Of the three it is most like the
idas blue in principle, with narrow wing borders in the male
(separating it from silver-studded) and silver studs in the submarginal
spots on the underside hindwing (separating it from the zephyr blue).
However, in reality it is rather different from idas, having a deeper
shade of blue and (in my very limited experience, at least) being a
little larger. Most telling though, the orange spots on the underside
forewing are broad, bright and continuous right up to the apex, marking
a set of 'tramlines' that a coach could pass through.
The species is local and I saw my first individuals ever in June 2008
at a colony shown to me by a friend. The habitat looked unexceptional -
a grassy meadow with crown vetch, the larval foodplant - but clearly
there are quite specific requirements as the butterfly does not fly
anywhere near me, even where the conditions look exactly the same.