Holly Blue vs Question Mark Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Holly Blue Question Mark Butterfly
Scientific Name Celastrina argiolus Polygonia interrogationis
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lycaenidae Nymphalidae
Size 26-34 mm wingspan 45-76 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Europe, North Africa, Asia, North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Holly Blue

Pale silvery-blue butterfly with small black dots on the underside. Alternates between holly and ivy as host plants between spring and summer broods.

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Did You Know?

Population numbers cycle dramatically every few years due to a parasitic wasp that tracks its abundance.

Question Mark Butterfly

Orange butterfly with dark spots and irregular wing margins. A silvery question-mark shape on the underside of the hindwing gives it its name.

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Did You Know?

It rarely visits flowers, preferring to feed on fermenting fruit, sap, and animal dung.