Foodplant for Brown Argus

[Trev Sawyer]

There are good numbers of adult Brown Argus butterflies around at the moment near me in Cambridgeshire and some seem to be laying on small Meadow Cranesbill plants that are emerging after recent hay-cutting activities... I note that Common Rockrose or Dove's Foot Cranesbill are the usual primary foodplants for Brown Argus larvae, but presumably the (taller?) Meadow Cranesbill is known to support them through to pupation?

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Trev - I believe that various members of the Crane’s-bill family (Geraniaceae) are used, such as Common Stork’s-bill (Erodium cicutarium) and Dove’s- foot Crane’s-bill (Geranium molle). So it wouldn't surprise me if Meadow Crane's-bill (Geranium pratense) were also used.

Cheers,

- Pete

[bugboy]

The millennium atlas list Meadow Crane's-bill as a foodplant amongst several other species of Geranium.