- Family: Lycaenidae
- Scientific name: Celastrina argiolus (Linnaeus 1758)
- English common name: Holly Blue
- Spanish common name: Nájade
- Portuguese common name: Azul Celeste
Holly Blue – Celastrina argiolus – Nájade butterflies have a distinctive silvery blue under wing with very fine black spots and dashes. They fly very early in the year if it is warm and are likely to be seen around trees and bushes as they feed on honeydew. The upper wings are blue, the male has a fine black border and the female a broader black band. The caterpillars of this species grow up to 1cm long, they are green with cream or pink markings.
- Wing size: 26-34mm
- Altitude: Sea level to 1900m
- Flight time: February-October in several broods
- Over-wintering: Chrysalis
- Caterpillar food plant: Hedera, Ilex, Cornus, Rhamnus, Calluna vulgaris, Rubus sp.
- Distribution: Most of Europe and north Africa
Similar species: Osiris Blue (Cupido Osiris) which is more blue on the under side with black spots, rather than lines.
Butterflies of Iberia. These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.
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