Cupido minimus

Staying closer to home today. There are a couple of Small Blue (Cupido minimus) colonies on one of my regular downland walks with the spaniel. This is the smallest butterfly in Britain, with a wing span of only 25mm at best.  The under wings look very much like those of a miniature Holly Blue while the upper wings are a grey-brown colour. Only the males have any blue scales on the upper wing. It is estimated that numbers have dropped by about 30% over the last ten years.