Lampides boeticus
Not too many years ago, a sighting of a Long-tailed Blue in Sussex would probably have been a once-in-a-lifetime event for a butterfly enthusiast, but not anymore. It can now be regarded as a regular annual migrant and placed in the same category as Painted Lady or Clouded Yellow (although this species is now known to over-winter, occasionally).
In 2023, there was an intensive study by Dave Harris and others in the Ouse Valley, and they recognised four distinct waves involving approximately 100 adults (this count included the progeny of the migrant butterflies). The “first wave” arrived in late June and the “fourth wave and final wave” of immigration was recorded between October 6th-9th. With mild weather in the autumn and early winter we could see LTBs until early December. The total flight period for these 3-4 waves of immigration and their progeny is potentially very long, indeed.
The discovery, by Lindsay Morris, of a Long-tailed Blue lek at Lancing Ring on 15/08/2023, brought joy to scores of enthusiasts as they came from all over the UK to watch “the sky-high dogfights and follow the high-speed escapades of these tiny dynamos”.
Whilst most sightings of Long-tailed Blues are less than 3-4 km from the coast, they are occasionally seen north of the South Downs, as for a record of a single in a Burgess Hill garden on 15/08/2023. It is very likely that this species is significantly under-recorded in the hinterland of Sussex.
Anywhere on the coast where we can find Everlasting Pea. LTBs use a wide variety of larval foodplants but this member of the pea family is the one most commonly used. In 2023 the most productive site was Lancing Ring but the year before it was Worthing seafront. For the best current “hotspot” it makes sense to check the sightings page, regularly.
Long-tailed Blue on seed head – photo by Dave Brown
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Mating pair – photo by Neil Hulme
Male on Tamarisk – photo by Dave Brown
Female at rest – photo by Neil Hulme
On shingle beach – photo by Dave Brown
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Female with open wings – photo by Dave Brown
Butterfly Conservation Long-tailed Blue
