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RE: Tiny blue butterfly revisited
wow such beautiful pictures of a wonderful species :) so sad that you see less of them :/
wow such beautiful pictures of a wonderful species :) so sad that you see less of them :/
Yes. It is either the habitat that is the problem, or the ant species they need is almost gone.
From Wikipedia: "The larvae have a close relationship with ants and produce a honeydew-like liquid to feed them. In return the ants will protect the larvae from predators. The black ants Lasius niger and Lasius alienus are the two most commonly associated ant species [my addition: Lasius platythorax in this particular habitat]. In some European countries ants have been seen carrying the larvae. Pupation takes place near, and often inside, ant nests, where they continue to secrete honeydew until the butterfly emerges."
I guess it will be a mixture of both factors (and probably even more factors)... However habitat lose is for sure a big problem for many species :/