Dusky Large Blue

is a small, dark-coloured, butterfly with spotted wings. It has a wingspan of up to 4 cm. It is present on damp meadows containing growth of great burnet and ants, specifically only from July to August. Its female lays eggs in the great burnet flower heads, where its caterpillars feed for some time until they fall on the ground. The caterpillars secret sweetish chemicals that attract ants who carry them into their underground nest. In the nest, caterpillars feed on ant larvae, overwinter and enter the pupal stage. Adult specimens feed solely on great burnet nectar. Dusky large blue is a protected species.