Silver-studded blue
Male silver-studded blues have tiny metallic silver spots on the hindwing underside, and the caterpillars are tended by ants that feed on their sugary secretions in exchange for protection.
| Where | Heathland and chalk or limestone grassland |
|---|---|
| Size | 29 to 31 mm wingspan |
| When | June to August |
Males have violet blue upperwings with a black border and a white fringe, while females are brown with a row of orange spots. Both sexes show the metallic silvery spots on the hindwing underside that give the species its name.
A single generation flies from June to August over heathland and chalk or limestone grassland. Caterpillars feed on heathers, gorse and bird's-foot trefoil, and are attended by ants that protect them in return for a sugary secretion.
Traits
Habitat
Heath
Colour
Blue, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; it settles low over heather and rarely flies far from its colony.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
About the same size, but entirely brown above with a border of orange spots and no blue scaling at all, unlike the blue upperwings of male Silver-studded Blues.
Questions
Is the Silver-studded blue dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; it settles low over heather and rarely flies far from its colony.
When can you see the Silver-studded blue?
The Silver-studded blue can be seen from June to August, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Fentriss, CC0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Blues and coppers›Plebejus
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.