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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: 2006-07
Categories: Insects
Camera: Fujifilm Finepix S7000
Exposure: f/4.9, 1/256 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 'Blues' of the Butterfly World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-08-01 3:57
Viewed: 748
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Common Blue

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
TAZ, ramthakur, horia, valy67, coasties, SelenE, liquidsunshine, Hil, marhowie, RAP, sAner, csmnlm, jeanpaul, red45, Christopher_PL, ScottHale has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To wishnugaruda: Dankewallhalla15 1 08-01 16:10
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2385 W: 50 N: 3170] (10926)
  • [2006-08-01 4:02]

Wow ! Great POV and pose which allow to see the difference of the both sides of wings. Colors, sharpness and DOF are well managed. Bravo Heinz for this good photo !

Deliziosa fotografia Heinz,
Stupendi dettagli, colori bellissimi e ottima composizione, bravo!

Ciao.
Franco

Grand view of your "Icarus" once again, Heinz.
There is a very bright and cheerful aspect to this picture.
Thanks for sharing it.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2171 W: 232 N: 4055] (13483)
  • [2006-08-01 4:26]

Another very beautiful capture, Heinz!

Splendid colors, great contrst, excellent sharp details, with very good POV and DOF, all very well composed.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hello heinz !
I love the pose of the butterfly here, as it allows us to see both sides of his wings, the blue color on upper side is really amazing, so bright and vivid. Details, composition, POV and DOF are perfect. Very well done !
Valérie.

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2447 W: 63 N: 4087] (13166)
  • [2006-08-01 4:52]
  • [2]

Great shot. Excellent details and sharpness on the flowers and the butterfly. I enjoyed seeing inside and outside of the wings. Beautiful colors. TFS

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1159 W: 255 N: 2639] (11925)
  • [2006-08-01 5:10]

Ha Heinz,

A great composed shot of this small but colorfull butterfly,well done and TFS,

Paul

Hi Heinz,
The details are nice, clear and sharp.
Good colours, lighting and exposure. DOF is spot on and the POV is good.
Well composed, good notes and nicely framed.
Thanks for posting, have a great week my friend

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 750 W: 13 N: 1453] (4981)
  • [2006-08-01 5:48]

Hi Heinz

Delightful Shot of the Common Blue B/Fly, excellent detail on the Flowers & B/Fly, beautiful colours and great BG, well done.

TFS
Regards hilary

Hello Heinz,
Lovely Color, with an excellent POV and framed well..
Perfect light, great DOF and detail as well. Excellent note,
Very well done.

Hello Heinz, excllent colors, Bg, POV DOF is used well here, deatils, are crisp, excllent work, TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-08-01 9:20]

La belleza de la mariposa compite con la belleza de las flores por su forma y coloración.
Muy buen POV con adecuado recorte y encuadre.
Por qué la elección del F4.9, o estaba en automático?
Excelentes notas también.
TFS.
Saludos... Ricardo

The beauty of the butterfly competes with the beauty of the flowers by its form and coloration.
Very good POV with adequat crop and frame.
Why the election of the F4.9, or it was in automatic?
Excellent also your notes.
TFS.
Greetings... Ricardo

Bin neidisch, Heinz,
ich wüßte ja schon wo ich diese schönen Bläulinge finde - das ist so ca. 500 km südlich - am Gardasee - also muß ich mich damit zufrieden geben, sie am Monitor zu sehen.
Sooooo toll, Du hast ihn gerade im richtigen Augenblick erwischt, man sieht so schön die blauen Flügel-Innenseiten, genial.
Danke und Gruß
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1648 W: 79 N: 1438] (4742)
  • [2006-08-01 16:10]

Beautiful capture Heinz. The colors are excellent and the details are very sharp. This is my favourite butterfly as it's so fluffy and so nicely colored. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Hi Heinz
It is a nice butterfly that you have very well captured ! Colors, exposure, DOF sharpness are very good. . Congratulations and thanks for sharing.
Cemil

Very nice photo with pleasant colours and very good composition
Best regards
JJ

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1029 W: 0 N: 90] (7759)
  • [2006-08-01 19:22]

Hi Heinz
Beautiful composition. Great colours,light, details, sharpnes and POV.
Well done

osse

Bonjour Heinz
Une merveilleuse photo que ce Joli papillon,Très belle composition, les couleurs et le cadrage et les détails sont tous très bons comme toutes tes autres Photos le sont elles aussi..Très beau BG
Bravo et merci...JP

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2841 W: 75 N: 8088] (27399)
  • [2006-08-02 2:36]

Hello Heinz!
Very popular butterfly last times! Excellent details, bright, sunny colours, good POV. Partialy opened wings look great. Very good work my friend!

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 787 W: 31 N: 20] (5002)
  • [2006-08-02 3:12]

Hi Heinz,
another beautiful insect, nice b-fly. Good composition and colours. Interesting note. Well done photo.
Rgs, Aleksander

Hi Heinz

Congrats on an excellent shot. Perfect saturation of colour, crisp, clear and sharp. Nice to view. Top quality work. :-)

great shot Heinz,
my favourite butterfly, I have see a few but was not lucky, your shot is well composed, good in pov and a marvelous composition, very good job my friend,
gr. jaap

Hello Heintz

Great shot of this small Lycaenidae. Very good composition: blue butterfly with then yellow flower. I like it!

Chris

MAGNIFICO COLOR LOGRADO CON NITIDEZ!!!
saludos
CARLOS

  • Great 
  • mbasil Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 352 W: 148 N: 717] (3146)
  • [2006-08-08 14:13]

Great capture. Incredible clarity. I really like the position of the wings so we can see both sides at once. I like the inclusion of the habitat, too.
Mike

Heinz,
Great DOF and colors. I like the blue fuzzy underbelly of this Common blue. The yellow flowers really compliment the colors of the butterfly. Well done, thanks for the great notes!
Scott

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