A Small Blue butterfly rests on a tangle of dead grass stalks, its wings half-spread. This is the UK's smallest native butterfly, with a wingspan of between 2 and 3cm. This is a male, and will be at the lower end of the size range. His pale blue underwings can't be seen in this photo, but his overwings are a kind of dull, greyish purple, with a scattering of bright blue scales and a white fringe all round. The hair on his body is blue. His eyes are black, and his legs and antennae are striped in black and white.
A Small Blue butterfly at Prestbury Hill BC reserve. It was quite nice to find one not indulging their taste for abandoned dog poo.
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