David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
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Butterflies 114 – Common Blues
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (f)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (f)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (f)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (f)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (f)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m)
COMMON BLUE
BUTTERFLY Polyommatus icarus
(m) f. boalensis COMMON
BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus icarus (m) f. boalensis
COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY Polyommatus
icarus (m) f. boalensis
·
There are numerous Blue
butterflies (Lycaenidae - Blues, Coppers
and Hairstreaks) in Europe, many of which carry similar markings, and there
may be variations within any given species. Of these, the Common Blue
Butterfly Polyommatus icarus
is one of the most familiar and widespread. Therefore, identification of
these butterflies on the Continent will require caution, the use of reference
works written by expert lepidopterists, and (ideally) distribution maps, as
being in the wrong location should exclude non-residents, and butterflies with
a limited distribution are only likely to be found in the right type of habitat
and/or at the correct altitude. It may be possible to unequivocally identify
fresh examples from clear photographs of the upper- and underside markings, but
once the insects have become worn this can become impossible. Fortunately, the
much smaller range of native British blue butterfly species is more manageable.
The spot-pattern on the underside of the Common Blue is most likely to be
confused with that of the Adonis Blue P. bellargus,
the Chalkhill Blue P. coridon, or (for brown females) with the smaller Brown
Argus Aricia agestis, but the
absence of any black and white chequering on the wing margins should exclude
Adonis or Chalkhill, and the ground colour of the uppersides of the male butterflies differs sufficiently for
an identification to be made of the butterflies when they are either basking or
in flight. Brown Argus Butterflies have some faint chequering on their
wing-margins, but the orange sub-marginal markings are more extensive than
those of the female Common Blue. Some Common Blue females have quite extensive
blue scales on their upperwings, and some European
examples are very beautifully marked. Holly Blues Celastrina
argiolus are more abundant in many gardens,
but their undersides are speckled with small black spots, and they appear
silvery-blue when they catch the sunlight. The final three photographs
illustrate the (presumed) form boalensis,
photographed in Tuscany, and with more extensive orange markings than typical
Common Blues.
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Butterflies 1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6, 7,
8, 9,
10, 11,
12, 13,
14, 15,
16, 17,
18, 19,
20, 21,
22, 23,
24, 25,
26, 27,
28, 29,
30, 31,
32, 33,
34, 35, 36,
37, 38,
39, 40,
41, 42,
43, 44,
45, 46,
47, 48,
49, 50,
51, 52,
53, 54,
55, 56,
57, 58,
59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66,
67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83,
84,
85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120
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