Large blue butterfly (Maculinea arion)

Description

Large blue butterfly fact file

• Description
• Biology
• Range
• Habitat
• Status
• Threats
• Conservation
• Find out more
• Glossary
• References
• Print factsheet

Large blue butterfly description

The large blue butterfly (Maculinea arion) is blue with a black outer margin and black flashes on the upper wing. It is greyish on the underwing with a blue suffusion at the base. The spots vary in size but are generally larger on the female than the male. The caterpillar is pinkish.

Size

Wingspan: 16 - 20 mm

Large blue butterfly biology

The large blue butterfly emerges in late June or early July and is on the wing for three to four weeks. The females lay their eggs on wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and the caterpillars feed on the soft tissue of the flowers. In common with many other blue butterflies the caterpillar then enters a fascinating and, until fairly recently, little understood phase of its life-cycle. After moulting, the caterpillar drops to the ground and waits for a particular species of red ant to find it. This ant, (Myrmica sabuleti), is attracted by a gland on the caterpillar that secretes a sweet liquid. After the ant has fed on this liquid for some four hours the caterpillar inflates the skin behind its head, mimicking the behaviour of an ant grub. The ant, encouraged by the caterpillar's mimicry, takes it underground to its nest and places it amongst the ant colony's own brood. Here, the caterpillar eats the ant grubs. The blue butterfly caterpillar hibernates in the ant's nest. It then pupates just beneath the surface and it emerges as an adult butterfly in June. Whilst in the ant's nest the caterpillar may eat as many as 500 ant grubs.

Large blue butterfly range

Widely distributed throughout Europe except for the extreme north and southern parts of Spain. The large blue butterfly became extinct in the UK in 1979, but has since been re-introduced.

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Large blue butterfly habitat

The large ble butterfly favours south-facing hillsides with close-cropped, unfertilised pasture. It requires the caterpillar's food plant, wild thyme, in the presence of a species of ant, Myrmirca sabuleti.

Large blue butterfly status

The large blue butterfly is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List ⁽¹⁾. Classified as Endangered in the UK (previously Extinct in the UK, re-introduced 1983). Fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Listed under Annex IV of the EC Habitats Directive and Appendix II of the Bern Convention.

Large blue butterfly threats

This chief reason for the decline of this species is loss of its habitat and scrub encroachment through lack of grazing. The life-cycle of the butterfly is complex and was not fully understood until after it had been lost from Britain. The red ant that supports the large blue butterfly requires a habitat which has few tall plants, is well grazed and where the surface temperature of the ground is warm. The loss of this habitat in many areas led to a drastic reduction in ant numbers and this, coupled with a major reduction in the populations of wild thyme, led to the extinction of the butterfly.

Large blue butterfly conservation

A co-ordinated approach toward conserving the large blue butterfly began in 1962 when a joint committee was formed. The committee was successful in finding colonies of butterflies but failed to discover any information concerning the relationship with the ant or the decline in ant numbers. The large blue butterfly was declared extinct in Britain in 1979. A decision was made to attempt re-introduction of the species and the butterfly was given special protection in 1975. In 1983 a re-introduction programme began with the importing of wild stock from Sweden. Further numbers were brought over in 1986 and in 1991 a five year recovery project was launched as a partnership under English Nature's Species Recovery Programme, together with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology and the British Butterfly Conservation Society. So far suitable habitats have been re-created on all the earmarked sites and the large blue butterfly has been successfully re-introduced to several of them. As a bonus a significant increase in the numbers of another species of butterfly, the small pearl-bordered fritillary, have been recorded.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.

Find out more

For more information on butterfly conservation:

• Butterfly Conservation: 
  http://www.butterfly-conservation.org

For more information on the large blue butterfly:

• BBC Wildlife Finder:
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Large_Blue_%28butterfly%29

Authentication

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

Glossary

Hibernation

A winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal's metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is 'diapause', a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter.

Pupates

The process of forming a pupa, the stage in an insect's development, when huge changes occur that reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis.

References

1. IUCN Red List (April, 2011)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org/