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Colias erate.


Colias erate.
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter Stoeckl (peter_stoeckl) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1629 W: 287 N: 3646] (10219)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-09-23
Categories: Insects
Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC-H5
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): European Butterflies 7 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-09-24 15:06
Viewed: 2013
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 68
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Last Day of Summer.

Colias erate (Esper, 1804),

Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow,
Östlicher Steppengelbling,
Oostelijke luzernevlinder,
Lamaita ("little lemon"),
Szlaczkoń erate,
Žltáčik lucernový,
Žluťásek tolicový.

Family: Pieridae.

Wingspan: 40 - 45mm.

Saturday, September 23, 2006, the last day of summer, was clear, sunny, windy and warm like the days before: beautiful late summer in Eastern Austria. So I decided to leave my work behind and spend the whole afternoon on top of Hexenberg - "witch mountain", a solitary rocky limestone hill some 40 kilometres to the east of Vienna, overlooking the Danube, southern Slovakia and the Hungarian plains.

That rocky, barren hill is covered with scrubs and Pannonian grassland, and it is home of a great diversity of plants and animals of southeastern origin, even of a few endemites. Plenty of colourful flowering plants still around between dry grass, the hill was very busy in the air on that windy day - both with paragliders and butterflies. For TN, I decided to concentrate on the latter.

In bright sunshine, parties of very quick moving yellow butterflies were around all over the place, but very hard to follow, and impossible to capture.

Patience always pays. Best time for a capture is the hour before sunset, when even the most speedy day active flyers start looking for a place to rest for the night. That was my chance to get some shots of Colias erate, the Eastern Pale Clouded Yellow, quietly sitting down, clinging to branches of Crataegus - exactly at sunset.

The species looks similar to Colias hyale L. but males show saturated lemon yellow colours on wings, and usually a dense black border on the upper side of wings without any bright freckles. Colias erate is a typical inhabitant of the "steppe", Central Asian and Southeastern European grassland. Distribution maps report the species from the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Eastern Romania, and Turkey. Furthermore, the species is reported from temperate Asia to Japan, and south to Somalia and Abessinia. Possibly in consequence of a chain of hot summers in the last two decades the species has spread into the southeastern parts of Central Europe, and has been found regularly around Vienna, Austria, during the last few years.

Food plant: Medicago sativa - thank you, Ivan.


Literature:

L.G.Higgins, N.D.Riley: Die Tagfalter Europas und Nordwestafrikas.
Verlag Paul Parey, Hamburg und Berlin 1978.

C.Jonko: Butterflies and Moths of Europe: http://www.lepidoptera.bai.pl/


The camera:

SONY DSC-H5, 3072 x 2304 pixel, sRGB, 16mm, F/4, 1/500 sec., ISO-125; no tripod, no flash; 23.09.2006, 18:07.

Postwork: very little. Photoshop Elements, slightly cropped, downsized to the web, butterfly slightly sharpened, contrast and luminance slightly adjusted.

Hope you enjoy. Thank you for looking.
Have a very good day.
phlr, mikou, jmp, shal, ramthakur, Argus, ciccio, marhowie, coasties, horia, RAP, dew77, anel, Hil, sgo, red45, Christopher_PL, valy67, loot, wallhalla15, Janice, Alex99, cedryk, SkyF has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Xplorator: Lamaita, little lemon.peter_stoeckl 1 09-25 03:52
To Argus: Medicago sativapeter_stoeckl 1 09-24 17:00
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1059 W: 290 N: 3946] (13340)
  • [2006-09-24 15:15]

Hallo Peter,
danke für diesen Colias, den es bei uns nicht gibt. Gelb gegen blau macht sich sehr gut. Insgesamt eine schöne Zusammenstellung auch mit der Pflanze.
Schöne Grüße, Peter

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 840 W: 67 N: 1311] (5269)
  • [2006-09-24 15:16]

Hi Peter.
This is perfect macro beautiful butterfly.Great chicken fine excel opposite blue background,good combination colours-yellow+blue.I like it.Good sharpness and very good compo.Very nice shot.Thanks for sharing.

Very greetings Milos.

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1740 W: 95 N: 2273] (8411)
  • [2006-09-24 15:28]

Hi Peter,
Beautiful butterfly with lovely autumn colors. Composition with the plant and the blue sky as background is really wonderful. A happy way to give the welcome to a new season!
Best regards, my friend.
TFS, José M.

Hi Peter,

Exellent capture of this Beautifull butterfly
great sharpness,POV,collours,details and a Perfect blue BG.

TFS
Thijs

  • Great 
  • shal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 259 W: 65 N: 476] (2124)
  • [2006-09-24 15:50]

Hi Peter,
excellent composition and framing :)
admire the colours of the butterfly in contrast with the leaves and B/G
Cheers,
Vishal Sabharwal

Hi Peter!
This is truly a fruit of patience. You have captured this butterfly really well against the evening sky.
Great point of view, DOF and colours.
TFS and regards.
Ram

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2992 W: 162 N: 950] (2789)
  • [2006-09-24 16:05]

Do you mean that there were lots of these (yellow) still flying around! I'd love to see them! You've captured it very nicely indeed hanging on the leaves. Lovely bright yellow against the blue sky.
Many thanks, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 190 N: 11348] (34987)
  • [2006-09-24 16:31]
  • [+]

Lovely late afternoon shot, Peter! Sharp and fine comp. According to Tolman the host food plant in Europe is Medicago sativa.
TFS, regards, Ivan

  • Great 
  • ciccio Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 227 W: 52 N: 337] (2721)
  • [2006-09-24 17:27]

Hi Peter, una imagen fantástica, de gran calidad y colorido. Enhorabuena y un saludo. TFS.

Hello Peter,
Very nice color and use of ambient light.
Excellent DOF, POV, sharpness & detail.
An interesting & well done composition mf. Really like the blue sky BG and red fruit there adding interest and color to your frame..
Very well done.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3066 W: 231 N: 6160] (21048)
  • [2006-09-24 23:51]

That is beautiful, Peter.
I love the backlit wings and the brilliant yellow.
A wonderful POV with superb details and light.
A lovely composition.
TFS. : )

Hi Peter,
Perfect picture. I know how difficult is to take shot of this nimble butterfly. I saw too that it has territory and keeps it against "invaders".

Hi Peter

Congrats on an excellent shot. Well composed, good clear detail and nicely saturated colour. :-)

Romanian: lamaita ( translated "little lemon")

THE CRITIQUE SCALE
Composition & POV : 9
Sharpness & DOF : 8
Light & color: 9
Creativity & Originality: 8

Best regards,
Radu Xplorator

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2172 W: 218 N: 4383] (14902)
  • [2006-09-25 5:25]

Hi Peter

Ah...indeed great summer is over for us animal photographers. Here comes the lovely autumn for the passionate landscape shooters.
But i say it was a good summer, with nice weather and plenty of subjects for taking :)
This is a very beautiful one, taken from a very good low POV, with excellent sharpnes and superb colors. The contrast with the perfect blue BG is great and the warm light that falls on it just makes everything look even better.
AS usual, a very informative and complete note :)

Bravo, my friend, and TFS
Horia

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-09-25 8:49]

Hello Peter,
Wonderful butterfly close up taken against blue sky.Lighting,POV,details,colors,sharpness and composition are excellent.Have a good day too!
TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-09-25 8:56]

El último día del verano para ti amigo mío... aquí comenzamos una bella primavera y lo he festejado con ustedes con mi última presentación de una flores en todo su esplendor.
Una bella macro con excelente contraste entre la mariposa y la planta sobre un fondo intensamente azul claro.
Gran agudeza, con agradable POV y encuadre elegido.
Buenos detalles en las patas aferradas a la rama y en la cabeza con su pelaje y ojo bien marcados.
Gracias por compartirla.
Mis mejores saludos... Ricardo

The last day of the summer for you my friend... here we begin a beautiful spring and I have celebrated it with you with my last presentation of a flowers in all their splendor.
A beautiful macro with excellent contrast among the butterfly and the plant on an intensely blue clear bottom.
Great sharpness, with pleasant POV and elected framing.
Good details in yours paws them grasped to the branch and in the head with their coat and very marked eye.
Thanks for sharing.
By best regards... Ricardo

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1723 W: 0 N: 3915] (15730)
  • [2006-09-25 9:52]

Hallo Peter,
Bin ein wenig spät dran, aber ich konnte diesen schönen Colias nicht ignorieren. Stimmungsvolles Bild im herbstlichen Abendlicht. Es gefällt mir sehr.
Liebe Grüsse
Anne

Hallo Peter,
wunderschön, dieser Schmetterling ist so entzückend und sonnig.
Ich war ja auch so stolz so einen in Italien zu sehen, und tatsächlich flog mir auch hier in Bayern über den Weg. Ich bin allerdings ratlos wieviele ähnlich aussehende es gibt, goldene Acht, Steppengelbling - wie soll man die auseinanderhalten?!?
Egal, er ist jedenfalls wunderschön!
Gruß
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 705 W: 13 N: 1405] (5027)
  • [2006-09-25 17:23]

Hi Peter

Lovely shot, the composition is excellent as is the POV, also nice sharp details, I like the colours a lot especially the Yellow against the blue sky background.

TFS Hilary :o)

Hello!
Very pretty shot, Peter. I like the blue sky background and inclusion of the plant indicating the time of the year. Good sharpness and exposure. Regards,
Mark

  • Great 
  • sgo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 137 W: 32 N: 239] (718)
  • [2006-09-26 1:37]

Thank you very much Peter for the most successful presentation of this species available on any site on the net - one more of many gems from you adorning TN! I just love those rich yellow colours on the perfectly focused butterfly against the clear blue, autumnal sky (which I know is a difficult position) - magna cum laude! Wish you a very good day too,
Goran

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2006-09-26 2:15]

Hello Peter!

Sad times... Summer was gone, winter is ready to attack us. Beautifull tribute to past season, so colorfull and warm. Excellent details and blue sky BG. I like it very much!

It's really very good shot. I like the composition: the yellow butterfly with the blue sky in the background.
Excellent colours and sharpness.
TFS

Chris

Hallo Peter !
Das ist wirklich eine wunderbares Bild, diese Schmätterling ist so schön ! Perfekte details, schönes sonnige Farben, und einen schönene blauen Himmel im Hintergrund. Das alles ist auch sehr schön komponiert. Vielen danken,
Valerie.

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5451 W: 594 N: 3650] (10031)
  • [2006-09-27 4:44]
  • [2]

Hi Peter
There is nothing pale about this spectacular beauty my friend. You utterly nailed this one on the button.
I like the POV and the composition with the plant framing the right side of the photo, the butterfly clinging to leaves of the plant and hanging down at the bottom of the shot, and the great blue sky overhead and as BG. The colours are well saturated, the details are magnificent, and the lighting control was perfect.
Great work my friend and TFS.
Regards
Loot

Hallo Peter,
ein sehr schönes Schmetterlingsfoto als Sommerausklang zeigst Du uns hier. Glückwunsch - hier stimmt wirklich alles. Farblich sehr ansprechend, hervorragende Schärfe, dazu ein schöner blauer Hintergrund - da kann man schon mal neidisch werden. Danke.
Lieben Gruß aus Ostwestfalen.
Heinz

Hi Peter,
This is a wonderful composition with excellent colors, details, POV, lightning and contrast. Not much to say that this is pretty close to pefection :) Very well done with amazing colors. Thanks,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-09-29 19:09]

Hi Peter, excellent capture, especially with the blue sky behind! very good POV, and sharpness and details are spot on. Bravo!
Janice

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3585 W: 143 N: 5669] (18533)
  • [2006-10-05 7:28]

Hi Peter.
Next your colourful and lovely shot. Combination of plant's crimson colours and rich yellow butterfly's tones is amazing. Blue sky as a BG, sharpness and details of the main subject are perfect as usual. Superb done and my best regards,
Alexei.

Hello Peter,
Wonderful composition with colour contrast between the butterfly and the background. Looks like photographed late afternoon.
Best greetings,
Michal

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2233 W: 188 N: 1929] (8127)
  • [2006-10-10 17:15]

Hallo Peter,
Ein herrlicher Anblick, schoenes weiches Licht
und die Schärfe sitzt perfekt. Sehr schoen ist die Bildgestaltung und perfekt festgehalten.
Sky

hi peter
c'est impeccable,le pov est ideal pour presenter le papillon devant le ciel afin de bien le detacher.
couleurs details et netteté impeccable.
laurent

Peter,

Well done. Good shot. POV is great taking the shot from below. Sharpness is spot on and clear blue background makes the butterfly come out nicely.
TFS.
Kim

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