An intruder in the anthill

In the dry meadow around you, you may notice small blue flashes: the mountain alcon blue and the large blue live close to the star gentian and Breckland thyme. They will only lay their eggs on these plants. Once hatched, the caterpillars feed on the flowers, before falling to the ground. They give off a special smell, which ants respond to by carrying them to their nest to protect them through the winter. In the early summer, they turn into butterflies and leave the antihill.