The Pea Blue Butterfly (Lampides boeticus) is a small butterfly in the Lycaenidae family – gossamer-winged butterflies.

The Pea Blue Butterfly has blue-violet wings with two black spots and edges in brown, with females having only a small amount of blue. Its underside is brown with white markings and one wider white streak. On the underside is a pair of small, black eye-spots at the base of each wing, with an orange spot.

Pea Blue Butterfly

It has a wingspan of 2.5-3.5 centimetres (1-1.4 inches) across.

It is found in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It prefers forest edges, mountain meadows, and hot places with flowers.

Females lay eggs on a leaf or flower buds. The eggs are white with a greenish tinge and are disc-shaped. The eggs hatch into green or reddish-brown caterpillars. Caterpillars pupate – they make a chrysalis, which is a casing. Inside the casing, the caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis (changes), and it emerges as an adult butterfly.

Pea Blue Butterfly (left) and African Emigrant (right)

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM