Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes) | Species | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Male. Taken at Baderitza, Bulgaria on July 26th 2015. (© David Hastings) (1/320th sec at f11)  Male underside. Taken at Arnside Knott, Cumbria, on June 27th 2018. (© David Hastings) (1/320th sec at f14) DescriptionFamily: Polyommatinae Wing span: 25 - 31mm This butterfly is very similar to the Brown Argus, but the two species differ significantly in their life cycles. Some populations have a white dot on the upper forewings. It is sporadic in the mountains of C and S Europe, but is more widespread in northern Britain, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. It can be found in forest clearings and glades, woodland margins and scrubby grassland, and dry, rocky mountain slopes up to 2000m. There is one generation between June and September, depending on altitude and latitude. Larvae feed on many species of Cranesbill (Geranium spp.). Earliest UK sighting: 23rd June ; Latest UK sighting: 5th July Sightings
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