Common Blue
Polyommatus icarus
| Home | The Butterflies of Gloucestershire | Species | Habitats | Conservation |
Common BluePolyommatus icarus |
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| Males, 18 June 1976 | Female, 31 May 1976 |
Habitat
Common Blues may be seen on unimproved grasslands, and in many other
places where one of their larval foodplants grows. The commonest
of these is Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).
Other common foodplants include Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)
and Lesser Trefoil (Trifolium dubium).
The foodplants grow in grassland, along woodland rides, and in shallow soils in places such as road and rail embankments, and old quarries. They may grow as weeds in garden lawns, and female Common Blues may sometimes be seen on lawns seeking plants on which to lay eggs.
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| 20 June 1977 |
Conservation Issues
Adverse weather conditions have had a noticeable impact on population
levels in 1998 and 1999, but the species is usually common and under
no particular threat.
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Flight PeriodLate May and June for the first generation, late July and August for the second. Particularly early and late individuals are quite often encountered.
DistributionThroughout the area. It is the commonest blue butterfly, except in years when the Holly Blue's population cycle reaches its peak.
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