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Common Blue


Common Blue
Photo Information
Copyright: Heinz Koloska (wallhalla15) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1767 W: 58 N: 3350] (13829)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08
Categories: Insects
Camera: Fujifilm Finepix S7000
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 'Blues' of the Butterfly World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-11-19 5:07
Viewed: 1275
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Appearance, behaviour and distribution
Male uppersides are a beautiful iridescent lilac blue with a thin black border. Females are brown with a row of red spots along the edges. They usually have some blue at the base of the wings and quite often, especially in Ireland and Scotland, are mostly blue but always have the red spots. Undersides have a greyish ground colour in the males and more brownish in the females. Both sexes have a row of red spots along the edge of the hindwings (extending onto the forewings though generally fainter, particularly in the males where they are sometimes missing altogether). There are about a dozen black centered white pots on the hind wings, nine on the forwings. The white fringe on the outer edge of the wings is not crossed with black lines as it is in the Chalkhill and Adonis Blues, an important difference when separating these species, particularly the females. It is Britains (and probably Europe's) commonest and most widespread blue, Found as far north as the Orkneys and on most of the Outer Hebrides. Males are often very obvious as they defend territories against rivals and search out the more reclusive females. A range of grassland habitats are used: meadows, coastal dunes, woodland clearings and also many man made habitats, anywhere where their foodplans are found. It is Widespread in Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia.

Lifecycle and foodplants
The Main foodplant on most sites is Birds-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus. Others used include Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Common Restharrow Ononis repens, White Clover Trifolium repens and Lesser Trefoil Trifolium dubium. Eggs are laid singly on young shoots of their foodplants.The caterpillar is small, pale green with yellow stripes and as usual with lycid larvae rather sluglike. Hibernation occurs as a half grown larvae. They are attractive to ants but not as much as some other species of blues. The chrysalis is olive green/brown and formed on the ground where it is attended by ants which will often take it into their nests. In the south of Britain there are two broods a year flying in May and June and again in August and September. Northern England has one brood flying between june and September. In a long warm year there is sometimes a partial third brood in the south flying into October.

Info from wikipedia.com
marmottelolo, wuta, phlr, sandpiper2, carper, radz, jeanpaul, ramthakur, Alex99, marhowie, SkyF, coasties, Pentaxfriend, Ken52 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

bonjour heinz
vous auriez pu appeler ce cliché"pile est face".
la prise est interressante car on a les couleurs des deux papillons,la netteté et les details sont tres bons.felicitations.
laurent

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 856 W: 2 N: 617] (2142)
  • [2006-11-19 5:21]

Hoi Heinz , Beautifull compositie ,fantastic colours details pov bg and framing , thanks ,Greetings Teunie .

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1060 W: 290 N: 3953] (13364)
  • [2006-11-19 5:33]

Guten Morgen Heinz,
draußen Regen - drinnen TrekNature!
Somit jetzt von dir: Ein brilliantes Bild von dem icarus-Pärchen. Alle Farben sind natürlich dargestellt und der Blickwinkel ist sehr gut gewählt, so dass die Flügeloberseite des Männchens als auch die Flügelunterseite des Weibchens scharf erscheinen. Es sieht so aus als wäre das Weibchen besonders klein ausgefallen, oder ist das nur die Perspektive?
Einen schönen Tag noch, Peter

P.S. Man findet übrigens immer noch interessante Insekten draußen. Da sind einige Nachtfalter zu nennen, gestern war es eine knallgrüne Raupe, die ich noch nicht identifiziert habe.

Amazing capture Heinz.
Not only mating, but we see open wings and closed wings.
Great stuff, no nits.

a fantastic shot heinz, with your old camera,
the quality is super, I like the white unther the left butterfluy, fantastic shot, good job my friend. Have a nice day.
gr. jaap

Hello Heinz
Beautiful couple. Good sharpnes and DOF. Nice natural colors. Unfortunately there are some noises in buckground.
Best wishes
Krzysztof

Hallo Heinz,
das ist so schön - diesen Moment würde ich auch gerne mal sehen wollen.
Mir war gar nicht bewußt, daß er größer ist als sie, hier sieht man das ganz toll.
Außerdem dieses brilliante blau, genial.
Danke und liebe Grüße
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • radz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 603 W: 11 N: 616] (3404)
  • [2006-11-19 8:33]

Lovely fly,loveely colours,Double fantastic shot :)..

Bonjour Heinz
Une merveilleuse photo que ces deux Jolis papillons,Très belle composition, les couleurs et le cadrage et les détails sont tous très bons comme toutes tes autres Photos le sont elles aussi..
Bravo et merci...JP

What a handsome couple, Heinz! I guess they are feeding on a flower together innocently; or could they be mating?
Great perspective that captures both the butterflies showing their features and colours distinctly.
TFS and take care.
Ram

  • Great 
  • marjan Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 474 W: 14 N: 360] (2641)
  • [2006-11-19 11:09]

hi Heinz, excelent shot with good POV and sharp vivid coloures. nice butterfly and good notice about it.
Marjan

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3586 W: 143 N: 5690] (18601)
  • [2006-11-19 12:15]

Hi Heinz.
What a colourful shot you managed to take. Amazing couple. Perfect details and sharpness of the butterflies, very good details of the leafs at foreground and excellent impressive BG. Composition of your shot is perfect as usual. Bravo and TFS.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-11-19 13:54]

It is such a plain common name for such a pretty little butterfly. And I am so happy to see the two different colours of their wings like this Heinz. Beautiful colours and pattern. I love the look of them, and they love each other!
TFS
Janice

Well done Heinz.
Excellent duality with both subjects, showing the inner & outer wing coloration and detail famously :) Very good DOF, color, and exposure.
Have a Good week mf.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2233 W: 188 N: 1929] (8127)
  • [2006-11-19 23:55]

Hallo Heinz,
da hast ja zwei chmetterlinge mit einer Klappe geschlagen. Super diese Kombination, herrlich Farben und dazu noch diese klasse Schaerfe.
Gruss..Sky

Hello Heinz

What a fantastic find! Lovely colours, Good low POV and nice to view. Thank you my friend! TFS.

Hi Heinz,

Exellent shot of a lovely moment,
Superb composition, sharpness, details, colours,POV and DOF

TFS Thijs

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 962 W: 0 N: 89] (7801)
  • [2006-11-24 11:51]

Hi Heinz
Good composition two in one shot. Good colours, sharpnes, details, DOF and POV.
Well done mf.

osse

  • Great 
  • Ken52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 640 W: 98 N: 1241] (4189)
  • [2006-11-25 14:06]

To me this is the near perfect butterfly photo and a favorite. Excellent note. The colors, light and focus are outstanding. That is such an intense blue. The composition is very good because you have both male and female. Both butterfly details are razor sharp! Very nice.

Zu mir ist dieses das nahe vollkommene Schmetterling Foto und ein Liebling. Ausgezeichnete Anmerkung. Die Farben, das Licht und der Fokus sind hervorragend. Das ist solch ein intensives Blau. Der Aufbau ist sehr gut, weil Sie Mann und Frau haben. Beide Schmetterling Details sind Rasiermesserscharfes! Sehr nett.

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