Chalk Hill Blue

A newly emerged Chalk Hill Blue, the last of the resident blues to appear and a sign that the butterfly season will soon be winding down. This is my 38th species of the year. I've seen 37 of those species within five miles of home. The remaining possibilities (Grayling, Silver-spotted skipper, Brown Hairstreak) require a bit of travel and a lot of luck.

This is the species with, perhaps, the least interesting naming history. Petiver (1706) called it the Pale Blue Argus and Harris called it the Chalk Hill Blue, a name that has remained unopposed since 1775. In France it is L'Argus bleu-nacré (blue pearl).