Nature enthusiasts in Aberdeen are being asked to spend the next week making a big effort to help Scotland's smallest butterfly.

The Small Blue is rare in Scotland and urgent conservation work is needed to help stabilise its population and provide the right habitat so it can spread to new areas.

A 'Small Blue Butterfly Week' has been organised by wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) in conjunction with the Tayside Biodiversity Action Group, to run from May 27 until June 4 as part of a project to boost the butterfly's numbers across Scotland.

During Small Blue Butterfly Week, volunteers will be asked to help look for the adult and its eggs and to help with planting its caterpillar food plant - Kidney Vetch.

Surveys will also take place to help identify any potential new breeding sites for the Small Blue.

Director of BC Scotland, Paul Kirkland, said: "We are really thrilled at the enthusiasm for Small Blue Week and the work carried out between May 27 and 4 June will inform habitat management that will be carried out in the autumn by landowners and BC volunteers to help the butterfly.

"Many areas occupied by the Small Blue have shrunk in size, are surrounded by inhospitable habitat and are threatened by scrub encroachment, so it's vital we do this work to secure the butterfly's future here in Scotland."

To find out more about how you can help the Small Blue butterfly, email Scotland@butterflyconservation.org