Northern brown argus  (Aricia artaxerxes)

Facts

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Lepidoptera
Family Lycaenidae
Genus Aricia (1)
Size Wingspan: 2 - 2.5 cm (1)

Status

In the UK this species is classified as Nationally Scarce and protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with respect to sale only (4). It has two subspecies; Aricia artaxerxes artaxerxes and Aricia artaxerxes salmacis (the Durham argus or Castle Eden argus).