Backing the big Blue

A campaign was launched yesterday to restore the lost habitats of the Large Blue, Britain's biggest and most spectacular blue butterfly. The project is backed by the chemical giant ICI and a consortium of top conservation groups.

The Large Blue's lifestyle relies totally on red ants and it has always been rare. Because of modern farming methods, the Large Blue became extinct in 1979. By 1995 it had been reintroduced to five small sites, with encouraging results. Now a second phase aims to restore the butterfly to 10-15 sites.