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Aricia agestis


Aricia agestis
Photo Information
Copyright: Luciano Gollini (lousat) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1107 W: 6 N: 3062] (11322)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-09-24
Categories: Insects
Exposure: f/4, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Blue Things II [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-09-24 8:30
Viewed: 359
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 56
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Lycaenidae

Genus: Aricia

Species: A. agestis

The Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) is a butterfly in the family Lycaeneide.
Although one of the "Blues" both sexes are brown on the uppersides with a band of orange spots at the border of each wing. They can be mistaken for other female blues but the Brown Argus never has any blue scales at the base of the wings like other female Blues often do. It could also be mistaken for the Northern Brown Argus Aricia artaxrexes were it not for the fact that their ranges do not overlap in the UK, unlike on continental Europe. The underside has the typical "blue" pattern of a greyish/brownish ground colour with black spots outlined in white and a row of orange spots along the border. The pattern of the black spots is the best way to distinguish this species from female Common, Chalk Hill and Adonis Blues since they lack the black spot found near the base of the forewing present on these three species. This species has seen an expansion in its range in recent years and is widely distributed across southeast England and most of the midlands with colonies occurring in Wales and as far north as Yorkshire. These northern sites have seen a lot of confusion in recent years with genetic studies looking at various colonies to separate the two Aricia spp. Up until a few years ago these northern colonies were thought to be the Northern Brown Argus and more colonies may yet be found to be misidentified. Like other blues it is common on the chalk downlands of southern England but will also use other habitats such as woodland clearings, coastal grasslands and heathland. It is widespread across Europe north to southern Sweden and eastwards to Siberia.
Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium is the favoured foodplant on Calcarious soils. In other habitats Dove-foot Cranesbill Geranium molle and Common Stork's-bill Erodium cicutarium are used and possibly other Geranium spp. as well. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of leaves. The typically slug-like lycid larvae are green with a pale line along each side and always attended by ants. They hibernate as a fully grown larvae and pupate the following spring. There are two broods a year in the southern colonies with adults on the wing in May and June and again in late July till mid September but further north they are single brooded and fly in June and July.

Aricia agestis.
Piccolo licenide mancante di dimorfismo sessuale. Superiormente il colore di fondo è marrone scuro con lunule marginali arancione in serie completa. La pagina inferiore ha colorazione variabile dal grigio al bruno con punti neri cerchiati di bianco, assenti nella regione basale, ed una serie di macchie rosso-arancioni brillanti.
La specie sverna allo stato larvale. Ad aprile si hanno gli sfarfallamenti della prima generazione, a luglio-settembre quelli della seconda. Il bruco è tozzo e verde, con stria medio-dorsale porpora affiancata da tratti obliqui verde-scuro. Lo si trova spesso nei nidi di formiche con le quali stabilisce rapporti di simbiosi. Sue piante nutrici sono eliantemi, becchi di gru, gerani, centauree ecc., alla base delle quali avviene la ninfosi.
Dall'Europa (eccetto penisola Scandinava) fino all'Himalaia e alla Siberia. Presente anche in Nordafrica ed Asia Minore. Ovunque in Italia, dalla pianura ai 1500 m.
Arjun, siggi, accassidy, Silvio2006, crs, jaycee, boreocypriensis, cicindela, jrobertop, eqshannon, CeltickRanger, uleko, ramthakur, gpeler has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To accassidy: uhmmlousat 1 09-24 10:35
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Luciano,
What an eye-catcher! Dazzling colours and details. Very beautiful! Excellent composition and DOF with a great OOF BG.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Luciano,

Fantastic capture.
Wonderful colours with excellent detail.
Composition and sharpness are good.

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5959] (22526)
  • [2008-09-24 9:01]

Hi Luciano. I am sorry i can not help with the ID . But its a very colourful butterfly. Which you have taken with fine detail and rich colours. It fills the screan with colours. wel ldone TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • Arjun Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 307 W: 3 N: 783] (3692)
  • [2008-09-24 9:55]

hi luciano
Beautiful picture of this lovely butterfly
very good details.
tfs

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 475 W: 11 N: 1334] (4670)
  • [2008-09-24 10:00]

Hello Luciano,
Beautiful sharp photo in fantastic contrasting and natural colours against the BG. Great POV and composition.
Best regards Siggi

Hi Luciano,
This is a fantastic picture of a very striking Blue, and I have put it straight away into my favourites. However, I don't think it is agestes, as that species usually has chequered cilia and this specimen does not. It may be an extreme form of Plebejus pylaon trappi the Zephyr Blue, but this is a guess based on pictures in Higgins & Riley's book Butterflies of Britain and Europe. I wonder if anyone else knows better. Many thanks.
Alan

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 0 N: 630] (2535)
  • [2008-09-24 11:10]

Hello Luciano,

There are very fine colors in your photo. Especialy the blue spots on the wings look great. You have chosen a very well adapted DOF so that the whole insect is in focus and can be clearly seen.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1909 W: 8 N: 4974] (16081)
  • [2008-09-24 11:30]

Hi Luciano,

It has reached the point where I can't wait to see what beautiful butterfly you have posted when I come onto TN. This is gorgeous! The picture is wonderful with the Argus positioned perfectly between the flowers in the background. Colors are superb - wonderful details of the exquisite wing markings. A top notch composition.

Jane

Hi My friend Luciano,
You are absolutely expert on the photographing the butterflies. Another 1st class quality image of a pretty butterfly.
Many thanks for sharing this beauty my friend!
Cheers,

Bayram

Ciao Luciano!
Nice capture of Lycaenidae butterfly, I like colours and POV. No ts is not very long but informative :)
TFS and best greetings from Lodz,
Radomir

I love it a lot for my blue theme and for butterflies this is the first of this in this colour I have I believe so I will gladly add it to my there for such..thanks so much for sharing Luciano!
Bob

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2765 W: 150 N: 7969] (24819)
  • [2008-09-25 0:09]

Wow Luciano!
Superb, superb!
A great close portrait of a female Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) in a third generation.
A. agestis has no blue.
The sharpness and details are excellent in this fine close open-wing portrait.
Bravo Luciano!
This is going into my favourites!
Thanks,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2582 W: 170 N: 7867] (24879)
  • [2008-09-25 0:58]

Hello Luciano,
What a terrific macro of this beautiful female Common Blue! The colours and details are most impressive and I love the soft background showing the daisies. Lovely!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

hello Luciano

superb macro shot of this very beautiful butterfly,
with beautiful colours, excellent sharpness and details
of the patterns of the colours, TFS

Asbed

These butterflies rarely open their wings that wide, Luciano.
However, you have been fortunate to shoot one with its wings in full view.
The colours are fantastic and I specially like the blue shade of colour.
Very sharp and beautiful picture.
Regards.
Ram

Ciao Luciano.
More a wonderful picture!
Exuberant colours have this butterfly.
Excellent sharpness and details also.
Congratulations and TFS this beauty!
José Roberto

Ciao Luciano, bellissima farfallina dai fantastici colori, probabilmente Aricia, come dici tu, anche se l'identificazione di queste lycaenidae è da mal di testa, peccato che il buon Marcello ci ha abbandonati, splendido il contrasto di colori con lo sfondo, anchese difetta un po' di DOF è magifica, bravo, ciao Silvio

Slav Lûcîano,
Wênê te yÊn macro nexasim jî yên peRîdanka giş jî bi zêdehî xweşik in.TFS.
Dûrzan

Bonsoir Luciano,

Superbe photo de ce splendide papillon. Excellente netteté. Impressionnant de voir les écailles aussi précises. Superbes couleurs.
Bonne soirée,
Mariki

Hi Luciano,
A nice capture of this beautiful butterfly. Superb composition and lovely details. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1883 W: 245 N: 6168] (21966)
  • [2008-09-25 14:18]

Ciao Luciano,
what a stunning butterfly!
Its colours are beautiful.
Very sharp with great detail.
Superb composition.

Well done!

Joe

Hi Luciano

Great shot of this brown argus, a beautiful species
Great sharpness and composition.

Chris

Hi Luciano,

Long time I have not come to comment .. lack of time. This photo is very well framed with fantastic details. The exposure is perfect for not burn the whites.
Congratulations!

Eric

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 362 W: 0 N: 369] (1475)
  • [2008-09-26 16:53]

Hello Luciano,
a very super sharp shot. Excellent colour dusplayed nd indeed such a great details.
Looks like floating on air.
Brilliant moment well captured.

Regards,
Foozi

Hi Luciano
Very nice photo of this beautiful butterfly. I also think that it is P. icarus female with a lot of blue on wings. Great specimen. Good sharp, nicely composed image
TFS
Krzyszztof

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1427 W: 128 N: 5241] (23187)
  • [2008-09-28 11:02]

Bonjour Luciano! Un autre bijou de photo! Couleurs merveilleuses et netteté fantastiques. Bravo mon ami!

Mario

Hi Luciano,
Another perfect shot of a butterfly. Once again you made me jealous:) Wonderful colours and details. TFS.
Greetings,
Gamze:)

  • Great 
  • OzBY Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 182 W: 2 N: 310] (1069)
  • [2008-10-04 9:52]

Hello Luciano,

Great picture of this butterfly
Great color, background and lighting

Oz

Excelente Luciano !! te has lucido sobre todo con esa bella gama de colores.
Abrazo.

Wonderful shot. Very expressive portrait. Gorgeous the colours
Best wishes,
Achim

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