Special Things: Adonis Blues, Chalk Downland and The White Horse

Adonis Blues

Adonis Blues males are eye-catching, electric-blue butterflies, though the females are more drab brown. They are found on the short-grazed turf of Europe’s flower-rich grassland and southern England represents the northern extent of their range. The preferred habitat of Adonis Blues is calcareous grassland with hot and dry conditions. Here the Adonis Blues lay their eggs singly underneath the leaves. They have a special relationship with red and black ants who protect the larval from predation, even burying them at night. The Adonis Blues has been rapidly declinging. This has been due to their habitat (grassland) disappearing or becoming coarse and shady through a lack of grazing.

• Size: 17mm.

• Habitat: Flowery hillside on chalk and limestone.

• Foodplant: Horseshoe Vetch.

• Range: S&C Europe, as far as England.

• Flight: May-September, in two broods.

• Similar: Female Chalk hill blue is usually.

Chalk Downland

A Downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of Downland are often referred to as Downs. Downland is formed when chalk formation are raised above the surrounding rocks.

White Horse

The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylized prehistoric hill figure, 110 meters long, formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk. The figure situated on the upper slopes of White Horse Hill in Uffington. The hill forms a part of the scarp of the Berkshire Downs and overlooks the Vale of White Horse to the north. Best views of the figure are obtained from the air or from directly across the Vale.

It’s related to the story with the end because Bertie did the figure of the lion roaring with the Chalk Downland flowers and these flowers attracted the butterflies.

It’s mentioned when Bertie had the idea of the figure of the lion because he thought about the white horse of England.

Because it’s related to the end of the story and the title; with the title because the butterflies are attracted by the flowers and like this the lion becomes in “The Butterfly Lion” and with the end because Bertie did it in memory of him. And before this he promised to him. “All my life I’ll think of you. I promised I will. I won’t ever forget you”

This article has been written by:

• Di Nella Rafaela
• Gonzalez Juana
• Lavagetto Sofía
• Sacchi Bernarda