234 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



Eggs Flat and disc-shaped. 

 Locality Very rare. 



49. Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades). Very rare. 



50. Silver-studded Blue (Lyccena argus, or agon). Male, purplish blue; 

 female, sooty brown upper side, bluish metallic spots on hind-wings, under side. 



Food plant Gorse, vetch. 

 Larva Brown. 



Pupa Brown (sometimes green) ; sometimes attached by tail, otherwise 

 free. 



Eggs White ; flat ; roughened surface. July to August. 

 Locality General, but not always common. 



51. Brown Argus (Lyccena astrarche, known in Scotland as Artaxerxes). 

 Food plant Rock-rose, stork's-bill. 



Larva Green ; pinkish back line ; black head. 

 Pupa Yellowish green, pink shade ; held by body threads to leaf. 

 Eggs Greyish white ; flat ; roughened. May to June and August. 

 Locality Widely distributed. 



52. Common Blue (Lyccena icarus). Male, blue; female, brown; hind- 

 wings, under side, have row of black spots, with orange and white edges. 



Food plant Bird's-foot trefoil, rest-harrow, clover, etc. 

 Larva Green ; louse-shaped ; ridged on back. 

 Pupa Green ; often in a slight lair or cocoon. 



Eggs Whity green; flat; with white netting, like a scraped sea-urchin. 

 April to May and June to July. 

 Locality Every wh ere. 



53. Chalk Hill Blue (Lyccena corydon). Male, silvery blue, with blackish 

 borders ; female, sooty brown, top sides. 



Food plant Grasses and stunted herbage. 



Larva Bright green ; Wood-louse shaped. 



Pupa Brownish. 



Eggs Light green ; flat ; netted design. July, August. 



Locality Chalk downs in many counties. 



54. Adonis Blue (Lyccena bellargus). Male, bright blue; female, brown, 

 with edge of orange spots, upper side. 



Food plant Horseshoe vetch. 



Larva Deeper green than above ; two well-marked yellow stripes ; Wood- 

 louse shaped. 



Pupa Greenish, becoming darker ; frequently buried. 



Eggs Greenish white ; flattened ; reticulated like Icarus. May and August. 



Locality Kent, Surrey, and Sussex chiefly. 



55. Holly Blue (Cyaniris argiolus). Male, lilac-blue ; female, lilac-blue, but 

 with black border or tip to fore-wings. Under side unmistakable light blue, 

 with black spots. 



Food plant Flower buds of holly ; sometimes ivy buds. 



