Endangered species

The little blue bog (Maculinea alcon) is a butterfly from the blue family (Lycaenidae) and lays its eggs exclusively on the stronger plants of the lung gentian.

Male butterflies have dark blue colored wing tops, framed by a narrow, black border. The upper side of the females is dark brown, often with a blue-pollinated wing base. The underside of both is colored cinnamon brown. Bog blues are always to be found in the vicinity of the lung gentian or swallowwort gentian, their forage plant. The stamens and ovaries are the first food for the caterpillars. Later they let themselves down to the ground and there they are picked up by knot ants.

These do not transport the caterpillars as prey, but as adopted children to their nest, where they are fed and overwinter. In midsummer the caterpillars pupate and at the beginning of the gentian bloom the butterfly hatches from the ants nest.