- Lifespan
- Approximately 2–3 weeks as an adult butterfly; larvae overwinter and develop over several months
- Size & Weight
- Wingspan 26–30 mm; small and delicate
- Habitat
- Sunny, sheltered grassland habitats including chalk and limestone grasslands, meadows, woodland edges, and roadside verges where grasses are abundant
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout southern and central England, Wales, and parts of southern Scotland; absent from northern Scotland and Ireland. Resident species; does not migrate
- Diet
- Adults feed on nectar from wildflowers such as bird's-foot trefoil, marjoram, and thistles; larvae feed exclusively on various grass species, particularly red fescue and cocksfoot
- Predators
- Small birds, spiders, robber flies, and parasitic wasps; also vulnerable to ground predators when roosting
- Mating Season
- June to August, with peak activity in July
- Breeding
- Females lay single eggs on grass blades; larvae develop through five instars, overwintering as partially grown larvae; single generation per year
- Behaviour
- Males perch on grass stems and fly out to intercept passing females in characteristic skipping flight patterns. They are strongly territorial and return to favoured perches repeatedly. Adults are weak fliers compared to other butterflies and rarely venture far from breeding habitat.