Holly Blue

Description:

Male holly blues have sky-blue upper wings with narrow, black borders, whereas females have broad, dull black borders. In both sexes the under wings are palest blue, almost white, with black spots (RSPB website). What they eat: Adults drink oozing sap, aphid honeydew and carrion juices. Caterpillars usually eat holly and ivy, but also dogwood, spindle and heathers.

Habitat:

These butterflies are frequent visitors to our garden.

Notes:

A common species on the British Isles, but is predominantly found in the southern half. Interestingly, the numbers of this species fluctuate widely which is believed to be caused by parasitism from the wasp Listrodomus nycthemerus whose sole host is the Holly Blue. The wasp lays its eggs in Holly Blue larvae, with a single adult wasp eventually emerging from the Holly Blue pupa.