Metallic cerulean
Male Metallic ceruleans rub their hindwings together at rest, a movement that swings a false eyespot and tail against a bird's attention instead of the real head.
| Where | Sunny clearings near flowering gingers |
|---|---|
| Size | 32 to 35 mm wingspan |
| When | May to December |
This small blue butterfly has a metallic pale blue upperside with a black forewing border, broader in males than females. The grey underside carries faint white banding and a black centred, orange crowned eyespot near the tail on each hindwing.
Caterpillars feed on the flower buds of ginger family plants, including torch ginger and wild ginger, and adults are most active in sunny clearings where these plants grow, with males perching high and chasing rivals through the day.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Blue, Grey, Black
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has a dark chocolate brown underside crossed by faint broken white lines, rather than the pale pinkish grey underside and orange crowned eyespot of the Metallic cerulean.
Questions
Is the Metallic cerulean dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Metallic cerulean?
The Metallic cerulean can be seen from May to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Swiss Natural History Collections - SwissNatColl, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Blues and coppers›Jamides
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.