Vibrant flight

With its striking blue wings, the male Adonis blue butterfly is an eye-catching sight at this time of year. Found on unimproved chalk downland in southern England, the first brood of Polyommatus bellargus emerges from mid May to June. A second emerges from mid August to early September. Males are often seen flying low over vegetation, searching for the less-striking females, who sport soft chocolate-brown colouring. Both sexes have distinctive black lines that cross the white fringes of their wings. After mating, eggs are laid on food plants in short turf. Both larvae and pupae are tended to by ants, which are attracted by their secretions. The sole larval food plant is horseshoe vetch, Hippocrepis comosa.