Adonis + Ants
14 images Created 16 Apr 2019
The Adonis Blue (Polyommatus bellargus) is a butterfly found on chalk downland. The male has brilliantly coloured wings that give it its name. The larva feeds on Horseshoe Vetch and ants 'milk' sugary secretions from a special gland on its back. The caterpillar forms a chrysalis in small crevices or hollows and is then buried by the ants in chambers connected to their nest. They attend to the pupa, protecting it from predators.