Polyommatus icarus

This is small, delicate looking butterfly. The male has bright blue upper sides and the female is primarily brown, with a highly variable amount of blue.

This species has two broods in the southern counties of England and one brood further north. There may be a third brood in favourable years. Time of emergence is highly variable. In good years, adults may be seen as early as the middle of May on more southerly sites. These peak at the end of May, giving rise to a second generation that emerges in the second half of July, peaking in the middle of August. Colonies in northern England and Scotland typically have a single brood that emerges in June, reaching a peak in July.

Courtesy of Naturespot - www.naturespot.org.uk