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| SCIENTIFIC NAME: | CUPIDO MINIMUS |
| VERNACULAR NAME: | SMALL BLUE |
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| Fig 1 | Fig 2 |
| ADULT | Wingspan - 24 -26mm. Males are sooty black on the wings upperside with a fine powdering of blue scales towards the body. Females lack the blue scales and are generally browner in colour. Male and females have silvery-grey undersides with black dots. |
| CHRYSALIS | 8mm. Finely hairy and of a buff colouration with black dots and striped wing cases. |
| LARVA | 10mm. Purplish-grey and grub-like usually found headfirst in foodplants seedpod. |
| EGG | Whitish-blue and disc shaped and located amongst the florets of kidney vetch. Hatching time within 10 days. |
| BEHAVIOUR | A busy looking butterfly that rests often. Sedentary and fond of basking with wings partially open. Rarely fly long distances. |
| HABITAT | South-facing slopes, grassy verges, quarries and embankments. |
| FLIGHT PERIOD | May - June. Single brooded. |