This species is a lovely little butterfly resembling the Small Blue, although the male has a rich blue upperside. The females can be differentiated by the arrangement of the  black underside forewing spots which are in a straighter line than those of the Small Blue. It is widespread but not especially common, forming local colonies in suitable habitat such as the meadows north of Cluj-napoca where I found several individuals.

Distribution: Southern Spain (Sierra Nevada) across southern Europe to Romania and Greece, as far north as Slovakia. Absent from most of Iberia, much of northern and central Europe, southern Italy and the Mediterranean islands.

Flight Period: Late April-August in 2 broods, although the second can sometimes be reduced or absent in hot summers due to foodplant desiccation.

Habitat: Dry meadows, light scrub, calcareous grasslands from 500-1800m.

Foodplants: Sainfoins (Onobrychis).

Nectar Sources: Sainfoins (Onobrychis), Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), hawkweeds (Hieracium) and other small flowers.

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