Polyommatus coridon
A small, widespread butterfly that occasionally visits gardens. Females are similar to Brown Argus, which lack blue dusting near the body, and to female Adonis Blue, which have dark veins extending into white fringe on wing edges. The male Chalk Hill Blue is paler and, apart from the Large Blue, larger than other blue butterflies seen in Britain and Ireland.
At some sites many hundreds may be seen in August, flying just above the vegetation, searching for females. Large numbers of males may also congregate on animal dung and other sources of moisture and minerals. Females are much less conspicuous, being duller in colour, more secretive in their habits, and spending less time than the males in flight.
The butterfly is confined to calcareous grassland in southern England and has declined in some areas during recent decades.
