# Holly blue (*Celastrina argiolus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/holly-blue  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup, placed in the family Lycaenidae. It belongs to the order Lepidoptera, superfamily Papilionoidea, subfamily Polyommatinae and tribe Polyommatini, within the genus Celastrina. Other English names for it include Spring azure and Holly blue butterfly, and its scientific name authority is (Linnaeus, 1758).

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 2.1 cm – 3.2 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Nectarivore |
| Main food | flowers |
| Habitat | forest, human_modified, shrubland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| On the wing | January, March to October |
| Generations a year | Several |
| Larval food plants | Fabaceae family |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Lepidoptera
- family: Lycaenidae
- genus: Celastrina
- species: *Celastrina argiolus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Argus argiolus*, *Celastrina c-nigrum*, *Celastrina kobei*, *Cyaniris aquilina*, *Cyaniris argiolus*, *Cyaniris expansa*, *Cyaniris microdes*, *Cyaniris subtusradiata*, *Lycaena argiolus*, *Lycaena nigra*, *Lycaenopsis anteatrata*, *Lycaenopsis argiolus*, *Lycaenopsis mixta*, *Papilio acis*, *Papilio argalus*, *Papilio argiolus*, *Papilio argrophontes*, *Papilio cleobis*, *Papilio marginatus*, *Papilio thersanon*, *Polyommatus argiolus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the holly blue?

The holly blue is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup, belonging to the order Lepidoptera.

### What is the scientific name of the holly blue?

Its scientific name is Celastrina argiolus, placed in the genus Celastrina.

### What family does the holly blue belong to?

The holly blue belongs to the family Lycaenidae, subfamily Polyommatinae and tribe Polyommatini.

### What other names does the holly blue have?

It is also called Spring azure and Holly blue butterfly.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Shirey, V., Larsen, E., Doherty, A. et al. (2022) LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits. Scientific Data 9: 382. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01473-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/holly-blue