Chalk-hill Blue
Lysandra coridon
The chalkhill blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk.
45
Countries
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalkhill_blue
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Lycaenidae
Genus
Lysandra
Chalk-hill Blue belongs to the family Lycaenidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
The chalkhill blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is a small butterfly that can be found throughout the Palearctic realm, where it occurs primarily in grasslands rich in chalk. Males have a pale blue colour, while females are brown. Both have chequered fringes around their wings.
The Chalk-hill Blue butterfly faces significant population declines across its range due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized calcareous grassland ecosystems. Climate change and agricultural intensification have reduced the availability of suitable breeding sites and host plants, while habitat fragmentation has isolated remaining populations and reduced genetic diversity.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Chalk-hill Blue butterflies inhabit short, flower-rich calcareous grasslands, chalk downs, and limestone hillsides typically between 50-800m elevation. They require areas with their primary host plant, horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), and depend on traditional extensive grazing management to maintain suitable habitat conditions.
Threats
Agricultural intensification and land use change
Habitat loss and degradation of calcareous grasslands
Climate change altering suitable habitat zones
Habitat fragmentation and population isolation
Loss of host plant availability (Hippocrepis comosa)
Found in 45 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra coridon). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/chalk-hill-blue