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Small Blue · Field Guide · Things With Wings

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Small Blue

Cupido minimus

Not yet photographed by the community

UK's smallest butterfly; dusty blue; chalk and limestone grassland.

Species Profile

Amber List; declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation of grassland reserves

Lifespan: 2–4 weeks as an adult butterfly; larvae overwinter and can survive 6–9 months
Size & Weight: Wingspan 16–18 mm
Habitat: Open, sunny grassland and scrubland with low-growing bird's-foot trefoil, particularly on chalk, limestone, and sandy soils.
UK Distribution: Localised to southern England, with populations scattered across the Cotswolds, South Downs, and coastal areas; increasingly rare in the north and absent from Scotland and Wales.
Diet: Adults feed on nectar from small wildflowers such as bird's-foot trefoil, clover, and vetches. Caterpillars feed exclusively on bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).
Predators: Robins, wrens, and other small insectivorous birds; parasitic wasps and tachinid flies target larvae
Mating Season: May to August, with two generations per year in favourable conditions
Breeding: Females lay eggs singly on bird's-foot trefoil flower heads. Caterpillars pupate after 3–4 weeks; first generation emerges in June–July, second in August–September. Larvae overwinter in the pupal stage.
Behaviour

Sources and editorial status

The short identification summary comes from the Things With Wings species catalogue. The extended species profile is AI-assisted and has not been individually reviewed by a wildlife expert, so verify important identification or conservation details with the specialist sources below.

Profile generated 24 June 2026

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