Northern Blue

Plebejus idas

The Northern Blue is a beautiful butterfly with bright blue wings. It loves to flutter around flowers and is often seen in sunny places during the warm months.

Hábitat: Grasslands

Aspecto

The Northern Blue is a small, iridescent butterfly with males showcasing brilliant sky-blue upperwings bordered by thin black. Females are more variable, often brownish with some blue and sometimes orange spots. Its underside is grey-brown with distinct white-ringed black spots.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenLepidopteraFamiliaLycaenidaeGéneroLycaeides

Northern Blue

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

1/5 · Muy bajo

Snaps

¡Sé la primera persona en hacer un snap!

Datos interesantes

Look closely: the underside of their wings has white-ringed black dots!

Male Northern Blues flash bright, iridescent blue wings in the sun!

Their tiny caterpillars offer sweet 'honeydew' as a treat for protective ants!

They are often spotted fluttering near their favorite pea-family plants in meadows.

Habilidades especiales

Northern Blue larvae can produce sweet honeydew to attract ants that protect them from predators.

This butterfly has patterned undersides that help it blend perfectly into its natural habitat when resting.

Northern Blues possess excellent sight and smell to locate flower patches for essential energy.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 25-35 mm
Tamaño: 10-15 mm
Esperanza de vida: 14-28 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 8 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Caterpillars munch on plants from the pea family, while adults sip nectar from flowers.

Diferencias por edad: Caterpillars eat plant leaves; adults drink flower nectar for energy.

Alimentos principales

Flower nectar
Bird's-foot Trefoil leaves
Clover leaves
Milk-vetch leaves

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

eats

Bird's-foot Trefoil

Lotus corniculatus

Larvae feed on its leaves for growth.

symbiotic with

Red Wood Ant

Formica rufa

Ants protect larvae in exchange for sweet honeydew.

pollinates

White Clover

Trifolium repens

Adults drink nectar, helping to spread pollen between flowers.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

A common bird that preys on butterflies and their larvae.

Rasgos

Social

Los animales sociales viven en grupos organizados, cooperando para obtener beneficios de supervivencia como la búsqueda de alimento, la defensa y la cría de descendencia.