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Large blue butterfly feeding on wild thyme flowers

Large blue butterfly

The large blue butterfly became extinct in the UK in 1979. A campaign to recreate suitable habitat for the large blue and then reintroduce it began in the 1980s, and there are now several populations in this country.

Scientific name: Maculinea arion

Rank: Species

Common names:

Large blue

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Distribution

The Large blue butterfly can be found in a number of locations including: Asia, Europe, Russia, United Kingdom. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Large blue butterfly distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Chalk grassland
Chalk grassland Temperate grassland
Temperate grassland

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

  1. EX - Extinct
  2. EW
  3. CR - Threatened
  4. EN - Threatened
  5. VU - Threatened
  6. NT
  7. LC - Least concern

Year assessed: 1996

Classified by: IUCN 2.3

About

The Large Blue (Phengaris arion, also known as Maculinea arion and Glaucopsyche arion) is a blue butterfly resident in Europe, the Caucasus, Armenia, West Siberia, Altai, North-West Kazakhstan and Sichuan.

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