Chapmans blue butterfly (Polyommatus thersites) Plaque

Polyommatus thersites, the Chapman's blue butterfly is blue greyish or pale brown. Chapman's Blue is a butterfly of calcareous grassland. There females lay their eggs on sainfoins. On this illustration we can see male butterfly drinking sweet nectar on sainfoin. Sainfoin are a honey bee and butterfly forage plant. Sainfoin flowers are loaded with nectar and pollen. (Book illustration for a children's Book: The Chapman's blue butterfly and the secret garden, written and illustrated by Julia Doria).