23/07/2026
The Silver Studded Blue, a rare butterfly with an incredible story that I feel all should know!
This rare UK heathland specialist butterfly shares a remarkable symbiotic relationship with ants! The ants protect the caterpillars from predators in exchange for a sweet, sugary liquid, and in return, the ants frequently es**rt the pupae into their underground nests until the adults emerge!
They are only found on heathland and Ashdown Forest is one of the few locations they can be spotted.
The adults only live for four or five days and can not fly great distances, so colonies are often confined to small areas of heather.
With the ever growing risk of fires in our dry Summers, the risk of whole colonies being wiped out with one fire are increasing. What a sad thought this is and to me the story of the Silver Studded Blue is key for enlightening others on how nature is so incredibly special, how places like Ashdown Forest are crucial habitats to protect and how fragile our natural world is. We can all do our bit to help, starting by sharing amazing stories like this, leaving habitats how you find them and not littering or leaving anything that may inadvertently start a fire 😌
I was incredibly fortunate to find this male on Saturday, who very obligingly posed for me on Conservators of Ashdown Forest in the morning sun!
