Three different Adonis Blues at Ballard Down

A blue butterfly with a white fringe to the wings crossed by thin black lines on a purple flower
Adonis Blue. ab puncta. Photo: Mark Pike
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A brown butterfly with black, white and orange markings on a purple flowerAdonis Blue. Photo: Mark Pike

Three different Adonis Blues seen yesterday, 31/08/2025, by Mark Pike on a very windy morning at Ballard Down at the base of the hill side feeding on knapweed.

Apart from many “standard specimens” there, his keen eye spotted two male aberrations which I personally found quite difficult to see until I finished reading what he said about these and knew what to look for.

A blue butterfly with a white fringe to the wings crossed by thin black lines on a purple flower

Adonis Blue. ab puncta. Photo: Mark Pike

This Adonis Blue ab.Puncta with the black dots on the hind wings is apparently not that unusual

A brown butterfly with black, white and orange markings on a purple flowerAdonis-Blue.-ab-parvipunctata. Photo: Mark Pike

But for Mark this Adonis Blue ab. Parvipunctata was a “First” – this can be identified from the very small spots on the back of the fore wings and hind wings.

Editor’s Note:  My thanks to Mark Pike for sending us the photos and information in this posting

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