Holly Blue

This obliging Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus was found nectaring on Bramble flowers and basking in the mellow late evening sunshine behind the hide at Wilstone Reservoir on Tuesday last week. I have always found this pretty little butterfly tricky to photograph as it tends to spend much of its time high up in the foliage of trees feeding on aphid honeydew, similar in habit the hairstreaks and rarely seems to settle for long. The Holly Blues found in Britain are of the ssp. britanna and appear as early as March with a second brood flying until late September. The males of both broods are identical but the females are seasonally dimorphic, the second brood a deeper violet blue with wider dark wing borders than the paler early butterflies.

Interestingly, unlike so many butterflies the Holly Blue is expanding rapidly, and is now found as far north as Cumbria, although it's stronghold remains Southern England.

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus - female, second brood. (17/08/2010)

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus - female, second brood. (17/08/2010)

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus - female, second brood. (17/08/2010)

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus - female, second brood. (17/08/2010)

The picture below which was taken in May 2008 is of a first brood female Holly Blue and shows the paler blue colouration and reduced black borders to the wings.

Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus - female, first brood 912/05/2008)