Description :
Pale silvery blue.wide sooty brown margin on forewing, black dots around edge of hindwing.female brown with faint orange spots on edge of the hindwing.Fringes checkered in both male and female.Underside pale grey with black spots and faint orange markings.Winter passed as an egg.The eggs are laid on strong woody parts of Horseshoe Vetch - Leguminosae.Caterpillars grow very slowly in the spring and sometimes takes up to four months to pupate.One brood per year.
Distribution :
South and central Europe and as far as S England
Habitat:
Both the foodplant and the butterfly are restricted to chalk and limestone grassland. The Chalkhill Blue breeds on all aspects but prefers south- and west-facing slopes and shorter turf.
Diet:
The sole foodplant is Horseshoe Vetch
Status:
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: not listed Butterfly Conservation priority: medium European threat status: not threatened Protected in Great Britain for sale only
