This little chap, as you may've figured out from my labelling skills, is a Silver-Studded Blue butterfly. He considerately posed for me for about 5 minutes, coquettishly wiggling his antennae. The minute I got home I identified him from my butterfly book. Did you know that the larvae form of these critters have a pretty snug relationship with ants? The ants act as a bit of a bodyguard from some predators and in return they feed on a sugary fluid that the caterpillar produces from its butt. Isn't that just amazing?
Whilst he posed a few of his companions fluttered around my face, their colours were stunning, not brash like their Emperor friends but instead understated and sophisticated. Sadly I got so many nettle stings just capturing this guy on camera, I had to let the others pass by me undocumented. I love June.
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