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I noticed that the Holly Bush I saw a couple of larvae feeding on last summer had many hundreds of green Holly Berries this year, many more than last season. I spent a few seconds looking at the berries for signs of feeding but could not detect any signs. Plenty of Holly Blues about the garden since mid-April. However, just about to give up looking on the berries for larvae without success when I spotted a half grown larva motionless on the underside of a leaf. It's colouring and shape suggested it was laid up in the process of preparing for it's final larval skin moult... ecdysis I believe the process is IIRC. I took a picture ~ it was still in the exact position twenty four hours later. It's right in the centre of the frame...When time allows, I will check those berries more closely ~ hope to spot a few more....

No wonder I never spot them on the holly - they're tiny! Great shot.

Susie wrote:
No wonder I never spot them on the holly - they're tiny! Great shot.

That little larva is about twice that size today although still small, feeding again on the green unripe berries. There was a small Ant species on its back. I will try for another picture soon.

Although the Holly Blue's wingspan is close in size to that of the other Blues, it is a much smaller butterfly in body bulk. Indeed, I think the name 'Large' Blue is a little misleading as that is not as bulky as say the avarage male Chalkhill Blue which even looks larger than the Large Blue on the wing.

Having said that, I have seen Large Blues of the race found in the far east ~ they are twice the wing area of those found in western Europe. Now they ARE Large Blues ...
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