Common Blue butterfly

Polyommatus icarus

family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers & Hairstreaks)

Image of Common Blue butterfly

The Common Blue butterfly has a background of blue/light brown with white-ringed black spots and orange marks near the edge of the underside of the wing.

Blue is the colour of the upperside of the wings of the male Common Blue butterfly. The female may be blue or brown on the upperside.


My personal observations of the Common Blue butterfly

months seen in my garden: August mainly

garden plants that attract this species: Helichrysum, Hyssop, Lavender, Marigold, Sedum, Scabious, Verbena

Butterfly sightings 2005:

First Common Blue seen at Clattinger Farm, 5 June
Common Blue on Tormentil at Grimes Graves, 9 June
Common Blue on Sanfoin, Gloucestershire, 18 June
Common Blue, 1 August
Common Blue on Hyssop, overnight visitor 13-14 August
Common Blue on Thistle, Cirencester Park, 20 August
Common Blue at Whitesheet Hill, 21 August

Butterfly sightings 2004:

Common Blue butterfly on Lavender

The above photograph was taken on Saturday 21 August 2004. I was on a short break from hospital where I spent 4 months having chemotherapy. The plant is Lavender.

The following images were taken before my hospital admission in July & have been included for the record but none is particularly good:

Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 19 June

Common Blue, 1 July
Common Blue, 1 July

top 7 memorable digital images of 2003:

thumbnail link Male Common Blue. Dorset. August 11. Top of wings are blue with a white fringe.

thumbnail link Female Common Blue in my garden. Top of wings are brown & blue. August 6.

thumbnail link Male resting on bamboo in my garden. August 19.

thumbnail link Female sat on pink Hyssop in my garden. August 19. The male above had just flown away from this area. I may have disturbed their courtship.

thumbnail link Female Common Blue feeding on Helichrysum. August 22.

thumbnail link August 4. Side view showing spots on the upper and lower wings.

thumbnail link Male Common Blue on Bird's Foot Trefoil. Dorset. August 10.

A memorable slide from 2003:

Common Blue butterfly Whitesheet Hill, Wiltshire. August 12.

A selection of images from previous years

11 September 2002 on Verbena
5 September 2002, male on Sedum spectabile - top of wings
1 September 2002, female on Red Valerian - top of wings
1 September 2002, female on Red Valerian - side view
1 September 2002, female on Red Valerian - top of wings
24 August 2002 on Verbena
21 August 2002, female on Hyssop - side view
21 August 2002, female on Hyssop - top of wings
21 August 2002, female on Hyssop - side view
21 August 2002, female on Hyssop - top of wings
20 August 2000 on Helichrysum - side view
20 August 2000 on Helichrysum - the other side
August 1998 - side view

identification:

To identify the Blue butterflies (Lycaenidae family), you need a good view of the underside of the wings.

Common Blue or Holly Blue?

The Common Blue butterfly has orange markings towards the edge of the wing. The other frequent blue butterfly garden visitor is the Holly Blue which has no orange on the underside.

Common Blue or Brown Argus?

To differentiate between a male Common Blue and a male Brown Argus look at the top side of the wings: blue and brown respectively.

To differentiate between Common Blue and Brown Argus (especially females) observe the spots on the underside. The Common Blue has a spot on the upper wing which the Brown Argus does not - see picture below.

If the butterfly is seen on a chalk or limestone hillside or downland, then it needs to be distinguished from Chalkhill Blue or Adonis Blue too by further markings.

Common Blue or Chalkhill Blue?

Chalkhill Blue butterflies are slightly bigger and paler in colour. On the upperside of the wings, the black veins cross the white fringe on the Chalkhill Blue.

Common Blue or Adonis Blue?

The blue of the topside of the male Adonis Blue is very bright - more like turquoise. The white fringe at the edge of the wings is broken by the black veins running across it on the Adonis Blue butterfly.

Reference Section

Size: 35mm (smaller than the Small White - see list of butterflies by size)

First Generation flight period: June-July
Second Generation flight period: August-September
Third Generation flight period: October in good year

Habitat:
Larval Food Plants: Bird's Foot Trefoil, Restharrows and Clover
Wild Nectar Plants: Bird's Foot Trefoil, Yarrow, Tormentil, Sanfoin, Thistle

Family Group: Lycaenidae - see list of butterflies by family

This page last updated: 9 December, 2005