Female Common Blue colour variations this season.

[Testudo Man]

Each year, im always on the look out for female Common Blues, showing nice colouration.
This season/year ive done quite well, finding some lovely females.
Locations in/around Kent. Images are not cropped. Cheers Paul.

Female Common Blue Butterfly (blue type). No Cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

Female Common Blue Butterfly. No Cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

Female Common Blue Butterfly. No Cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

Female Common Blue Butterfly. No Cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

Female Common Blue Butterfly (blue type). No Cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

[petesmith]

A lovely selection Paul! As you say, it does seem to have been a particularly fine year for female Common Blue colour forms. I don't think I have seen a plain brown one at all during 2021!

My own personal favourite is the example shown below, not too far removed from your third image.

[David M]

Nice work, TM, and that last image of yours is of quite an extraordinary butterfly.

When I was a kid in the late 70s, virtually all female Common Blues were brown, but these days a huge percentage are very blue, with some being so well-coloured it almost makes the guides of the period before 1980 obsolete.

Here's one I saw in Swansea in early summer which I doubt I could ever have seen when I was a teenager:

[Testudo Man]

A lovely selection Paul! As you say, it does seem to have been a particularly fine year for female Common Blue colour forms. I don't think I have seen a plain brown one at all during 2021!

My own personal favourite is the example shown below, not too far removed from your third image.

Common Blue ab.albocuneata 4.JPG

Thanks for that.
Thats a real beauty Pete, an as you say not too far from my 3rd one. I think i have one from this year, that is very close to yours, i will have to go look for it later for comparison.
I dont think i saw a brown female at all this year, an im pretty sure i only saw the one brown one last year!

[Testudo Man]

Nice work, TM, and that last image of yours is of quite an extraordinary butterfly.

When I was a kid in the late 70s, virtually all female Common Blues were brown, but these days a huge percentage are very blue, with some being so well-coloured it almost makes the guides of the period before 1980 obsolete.

Here's one I saw in Swansea in early summer which I doubt I could ever have seen when I was a teenager:

31.CommBlfem(1).jpg

Cheers David, yes, that last one of mine was a cracker. I think it was looking its absolute best, with the low bright sunlight to its left, making her a real sight for sure. It was almost as good as the unusual female i found last year, but she really was the best i have ever seen (i guess we all say that, until the next beauty presents itself!).
Your blue is also a real beauty too.

Ive only been observing the colouration in female Common Blues for less that a decade, but even in that short time, way more "Blues" seem to out number the "Browns" of late.

Heres a reminder of that very special blue female i found late last year. Cheers Paul.

Female Common Blue Butterfly ab. (3rd brood). No cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

Female Common Blue Butterfly ab. (3rd brood). No cropping. by Tort Man, on Flickr

[millerd]

Some absolutely stunning images there. Common Blue females make a fascinating and attractive subject for study - every one is different.

However, there are still a few brown ones around...

(Apologies that I can't compete with the image quality above!)

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

The brown ones are definitely becoming scarcer, so much so that when I saw this individual on the Swansea coast back in May I felt compelled to take her image:

[Testudo Man]

Some absolutely stunning images there. Common Blue females make a fascinating and attractive subject for study - every one is different.

However, there are still a few brown ones around...CB8 190821.JPG(Apologies that I can't compete with the image quality above!)

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave.
Like you say, such a variation in colour/markings, from female to female, so they are certainly a good subject/species to observe.
Nice brown one there too.

The brown ones are definitely becoming scarcer, so much so that when I saw this individual on the Swansea coast back in May I felt compelled to take her image:

17.CBfemups(1).jpg

Another nice brown female there David.

[David M]

Thanks, TM. They're getting scarcer by the year!!

[Steve Kirtley]

Here's a couple from County Durham this September. One was very dark.

[Testudo Man]

Here's a couple from County Durham this September. One was very dark.

Nice looking butterflies there.

[jonhd]

I would hazard a guess at 4:1 in favour of the brown form, down here in Southampton (Hampshire coast), this year. (Pretty sure it's mostly CB, and not Brown Argus, I'm counting.)

BR, Jon