Silver-studded Blue
I photographed this male Silver-studded Blue at the RSPB South Stack reserve on Anglesey. We visited South Stack to look for Choughs after we had seen the Elegant Tern. This one is slightly unusual in that it lacks the silver studs that give rise to the name. Silver-studded Blues are commonest on southern heathlands around the New Forest and Thames Basin. Beyond that they are decidedly localised, though often common where they do occur. They are noticeably smaller than Common Blues, with a more leaden blue colouration, with a row of black studs around the hindwing margin. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including gorse, heather and rock-rose, but they also have a relationship with black ants of the genus Lasius. Ants carry the young larvae into their nests where they tend and protect them, presumably for the sugary solutions they exude. But it is not known whether they actually feed on ant larvae (like Large Blues do), but at night the caterpillars emerge from the ants' nests to feed on vegetation. Female Silver-studded Blues selectively lay eggs on vegetation close to Black Ant nests.
The Silver-studded Blue has the scientific name Plebejus argus. Plebejus were basically the Plebs or common folk, as this was Linnaeus's "dumping ground" for all the small butterflies like blues and skippers. These were lower than the grand Swallowtails, Emperors and Admirals. And so to the name argus. In Greek mythology Zeus was in love with Io, so to indulge himself without arousing his wife Hera's suspicion, he turned her into a Heifer. Hera found out and placed her under the care of Argus, who had a hundred eyes. Zeus enlisted the help of Hermes who lulled Argus to sleep with his flute and then cut off Argus's head. Hera consoled herself by setting Argus's eyes into the tail of the peacock. So any butterfly that has numerous eyespots often has the name Argus, and elsewhere in the animal kingdom (eg Great Argus Pheasant).
Silver-studded Blue
I photographed this male Silver-studded Blue at the RSPB South Stack reserve on Anglesey. We visited South Stack to look for Choughs after we had seen the Elegant Tern. This one is slightly unusual in that it lacks the silver studs that give rise to the name. Silver-studded Blues are commonest on southern heathlands around the New Forest and Thames Basin. Beyond that they are decidedly localised, though often common where they do occur. They are noticeably smaller than Common Blues, with a more leaden blue colouration, with a row of black studs around the hindwing margin. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including gorse, heather and rock-rose, but they also have a relationship with black ants of the genus Lasius. Ants carry the young larvae into their nests where they tend and protect them, presumably for the sugary solutions they exude. But it is not known whether they actually feed on ant larvae (like Large Blues do), but at night the caterpillars emerge from the ants' nests to feed on vegetation. Female Silver-studded Blues selectively lay eggs on vegetation close to Black Ant nests.
The Silver-studded Blue has the scientific name Plebejus argus. Plebejus were basically the Plebs or common folk, as this was Linnaeus's "dumping ground" for all the small butterflies like blues and skippers. These were lower than the grand Swallowtails, Emperors and Admirals. And so to the name argus. In Greek mythology Zeus was in love with Io, so to indulge himself without arousing his wife Hera's suspicion, he turned her into a Heifer. Hera found out and placed her under the care of Argus, who had a hundred eyes. Zeus enlisted the help of Hermes who lulled Argus to sleep with his flute and then cut off Argus's head. Hera consoled herself by setting Argus's eyes into the tail of the peacock. So any butterfly that has numerous eyespots often has the name Argus, and elsewhere in the animal kingdom (eg Great Argus Pheasant).