Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:41 pm

Looking through my butterfly pics and this one I am not sure about? Probably a Common Blue?

Almost certainly a Common Blue. Why did I think otherwise?

Post by **Padfield** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:41 pm

I'd go further - definitely a common blue!

Guy

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:16 pm

I agree. I just had doubts for a few minutes.

MikeOxon · Post by **MikeOxon** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:24 pm

It's a very nice photo of a Common Blue.

I think the key feature is the double fringe on the wing edges - slightly chequered greyish inner fringe, with pure white outer. It's shown very well here.

Mike

John W · Post by **John W** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:17 am

MikeOxon wrote:I think the key feature is the double fringe on the wing edges - slightly chequered greyish inner fringe, with pure white outer. It's shown very well here.

Nice observation about the double fringe, I hadn't noticed that before.

Cheers
John

David M · Post by **David M** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:33 pm

Lovely shot of the Common Blue though, with the pale stone background contrasting nicely with the wing colour.

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:52 pm

It was on the beach above high tide level. Bird's Foot trefoil grows in the vegetated patches.

I have looked more closely at the male Common Blue after seeing a picture of a Marazine Blue which I identified as a Common Blue.

Piers · Post by **Piers** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:25 am

If the photo had been taken with wings closed, it would reveal iteself to be ab. arcuata. The strong dark stripe above the inner margin on the forewing underside is just visible from above.

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:39 am

Piers wrote:If the photo had been taken with wings closed, it would reveal iteself to be ab. arcuata. The strong dark stripe above the inner margin on the forewing underside is just visible from above.

I am not sure if I can see what you mean. I will have a closer look later.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/ ... utterflies

Piers · Post by **Piers** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:12 pm

I have highlighted said spottage...

Trev Sawyer · Post by **Trev Sawyer** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:09 pm

Wow Piers...
That was an amazing spot!

Brilliant.

Trev

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:41 am

Piers wrote:I have highlighted said spottage...

CommBlue7908.jpg

Hello Piers,

Thanks for this observation. This was a specimen from Shoreham beach rather than the downs or the Levels. Other Common Blue pictures do not show these markings.

Location: http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Coastal2010.htm

Web pages to be amended later. Too tired tonight.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2010.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur 2010.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: August 2010
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/August2010.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316

Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

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Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)

Re: Blue Butterfly for ID (August 2010)