The Blauwtjes family.
The PC web version contains extensive information about places and butterflies
The Common Blue.
The Icarus blue is one of the most common blues in the Netherlands. It is mainly found in flowery grasslands, roadsides, vacant lots and gardens. They can be seen in pairs.
The Common Blue flies from the end of April to June, followed by a second generation in August and September. In long hot summers there is sometimes an extra generation that can be seen until the end of October.
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The undersides of both sexes look the same, with the female being slightly darker in color.
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The Tree Blue.
Unlike many blues, the tree blue is a kind of woods, parking, gardens and heather. With its nomadic lifestyle, it is one of the first butterflies in the spring, from the end of March, with a second generation lasting until the end of September. Sometimes even a third generation follows until November.
Its behavior is a bit like that of the small pages; short false flights in the tops of trees and prefers sweet honeydew or mineral-rich moist spots to flowers.
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The females of the second generation are more purple and more heavily marked, while the males still show a similarity. The undersides always look the same.
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The Tail Blue.
This blue has only been observed more often in the Netherlands since 2011. It is a species that is steadily expanding its acreage to the north due to climate change, so this species can be expected in even greater numbers. Most sightings are between July and September, but in more southern regions this species flies in several generations from April. Tail blues like moist, rather rough, extensively grazed meadows.
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The males are violet-blue, but the amount of blue pollination varies among the females. They can easily be confused with tree blue and icarus blue.
The Brown Blue.
A fairly rare butterfly that nowadays mainly occurs in the dunes and on reclaimed areas in Zeeland and North and South Holland. The brown blue has disappeared in many places along the major rivers. The brown blue occurs in dry, sandy, open, herbaceous and sparse grasslands. The numbers differ from year to year. The butterflies have two to three generations per year from the end of April to October.
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The female is larger with more rounded wings and larger orange spots that extend to the wing tip. These spots appeared in the males and are sometimes even absent.
The Little Blue.
It is easy to overlook this smallest and least conspicuous blue. In addition to the grasslands, the dwarf blue is also found in roadsides, quarries and railway dikes where a lot of clover grows. The dwarf blue is declining and has only a few small populations in South Limburg. Flight time is from mid-May to the end of July, sometimes with a second generation in late July and early August. When the butterflies are resting, they are recognizable by their smooth dark top and pearly gray underside with small spots.
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The upper wings of the females are evenly brown. the males have silvery blue scales at the base of the dark wings, but the undersides of both sexes are the same.
The Dark Pimpernel Blue.
In 2001 the dark burnet blue spontaneously established itself in the vicinity of South Limburg.
Here the butterflies fly in rugged vegetation of moist, moderately nutrient-rich grasslands, hay meadows and along roadsides. The dark burnet blue depends on the stinging ants and the host plant the large burnet. The eggs hatch quickly and the caterpillars first eat the seeds of the large burnet. After the third molt, the caterpillar drops to the ground; this is then taken by sting ants to the ant's nest, where the caterpillar hibernates and later pupates. The butterflies hatch early in the morning, when the ants are still resting.
The butterflies fly from the beginning of July to the end of August.
