The Holly Blue is not a very common butterfly in Yeldham, at Roseland House a few individuals may be seen in a year, or none at all.
Two broods are produced per year. After overwintering as pupae, adults emerge in early April and lay their eggs on Holly. There is a lull of adults on the wing in mid June to mid July before the next brood emerges in later summer to lay its eggs on Ivy where they will hatch, feed as larvae and pupate before the coming winter.
External links to Holly Blue pages at:
British Butterflies
by Steven Cheshire .
UK Butterflies by Peter Eeles
B.M. Cockayne database for forms and aberrations.
| MOST SEEN ON ANY ONE DAY - Holly Blue sightings at Roseland House, garden and paddock (from daily counts). | |||||||||
| March | April | May | June | July | August | Sept | Oct | Notes | |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | July - early Aug v. wet. |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | April - mid July v. wet. Aug- mid Sept dry. |
| 2013 | 0 | 1 | Winter wet, March and early April, cold. | ||||||
| AVERAGE SEEN PER COUNTING DAY - Holly Blue sightings at Roseland House, garden and paddock (from daily counts). | |||||||||
| March | April | May | June | July | August | Sept | Oct | Notes | |
| 2011 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.04 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.03 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0.1 | |||||||
17 July 2010. West Stow, Suffolk. 1 Holly Blue.
6 April 2011. Fleam Dyke. In the wooded section towards Balsham, 1 Holly Blue.
5 May 2013. Fleam Dyke, west end between the A11 and the railway cutting. 4 Holly Blues.
20 May 2013