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Common Blue


Common Blue
Photo Information
Copyright: Joe Kellard (joey) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-08-13
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 400D (Rebel XTi), Sigma 180mm f/3.5 Macro EX APO IF HSM, Digital ISO-200, Kood 72mm UV filter
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Blue Things II [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-11-08 6:21
Viewed: 623
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Here's, what I think, is a Common Blue - if anyone thinks it's something else or could confirm this I.D. then I'd really appreciate it! :-)

This was taken in Spain while I was photographing the Bee-eaters.

I hope you like it!

Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus

This is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Appearance, behaviour and distribution
Male uppersides are an 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, 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 spots 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 Britain's (and probably Europe's) most common and most widespread blue, found as far north as Orkney 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 food plants are found.

It is widespread in Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia.

Lifecycle and food plants
The main food plant on most sites is Bird's 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 food plants.

The caterpillar is small, pale green with yellow stripes and as usual with lycid larvae rather slug-like. 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. The larvae creates a substance called honey dew, which the ants eat while the butterfly lives in the ant hill. 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.
eng55, Alex99, uleko, ellis49, eqshannon, kmr13777, Royaldevon, nglen, boreocypriensis, Adanac, carper, haraprasan has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Alex99: DOFjoey 1 11-08 07:18
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1138 W: 32 N: 1161] (3574)
  • [2008-11-08 6:25]

Hi Joe,
Very nice capture.POV,colors,exposure,BG and composition are wonderful.
Excellent work!
Thanks for posting...

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2388 W: 94 N: 5521] (17576)
  • [2008-11-08 6:33]

Hello Joe,
Whar an excellent macro! Perfect sharp focus. Splendid light and colours contrasting against the OOF BG. Great POV and composition.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Joe,
as I see - we had the same idea today - showing a Common Blue.
Yours is beautiful with the wide open wings.
This blue colour is amazing, thanks
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Hi Joe.
Excellent close-up with amazing diagonal composition, wonderful colours and perfect details of the cute butterfly. However, DOF is shallow a little bit, I think. For so long macro lens f/9 is too fast for my taste. I like magnification ratio. It is so difficult to come nearer so close to this little beauty. My best wishes and TFS.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2992 W: 162 N: 950] (2789)
  • [2008-11-08 7:42]

Hello Joe,
Another superb capture from your holiday in Spain! A lovely close-up of the Common Blue filling the frame. Grat focus on the eyes and antennae and beautiful colours of the wings.
Well done!
TFS and cheers, Ulla

Hi Joe,
a fine, well composed picture with lovely natural colours.
Fine sharpness and details but as Alexei mention the DOF is a bit shallow.
Good work, young friend.
Have a nice weekend
/Gert

I have seen many a picture of ones like this but yours is a dazzler Joey! I added it to my blue the4me..this is that cross between a baby blue and a Wedgwood blue of which I love so much. Very sharp and well centered with a nice natural backdrop....
Bob

Hi Joe,
Is this like an inflight shot? Cause I don't see what is the blue sitting on if it is. It's anyways a great capture and if you say that it's inflight then I take a bow. Great colors and details captured with an excellent POV.

TFS

Kirti

hello Joe,

This butterfly has an interesting diagonal composition which is very attractive.
Lovely colour and extural details of the wings which have an irridescent sheen. Nice sharp focus on the wings and body.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2908 W: 34 N: 8625] (32146)
  • [2008-11-08 12:47]

Hi Joey. This is common blue fills the screen with bight colour. You have good detail and colours. a nice POV/DOF against the plain BG. just a little soft on the wing tips. Maybe movement . well done TFS
Nick..

Hi OwlMan Joe:-)

A superb macro of this male common blue with great clarity.
All details of uperwings are superb.
TFS and cheers,

BayRam

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1978 W: 6 N: 5527] (19673)
  • [2008-11-08 15:32]

Hi Joe,not usual to see a butterfly in your gallery,this is a great gift to me! A very nice macro,top quality of colors,a little out of focus the wings,....but no problem,i know this common blue and i know how isn't easy to take perfectly..hehehe...thanks a lot to show us this little beauty of nature,have a nice day,Luciano

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
  • [2008-11-08 19:12]

Hi Joe,
Another piece of superior work my young friend,thank you for sharing.
Rick

well Joe,
the composition is very orginal, For myself I have photographt this specie a lot of times but I did never it on this way from top, for this shot the F9 with this focus on the wings behind you got a unsharp front, so or take a higher F or focused the butterbly in front, farther very orginal photojob, I like it. have a nice sunday.
regard jaap

Hi Joe,
A nice capture of this beautiful common blue wings opened pose. Superb details and a lovely composition. But I think the DOF could have been better on the wing tips. Thanks a lot for sharing.

What a fabulous close-up. Perfect detail down to the feathery dusty look of the wings.
Just perfect!

Hello Joe

What a perfect open wing pose you have captured.
The small blue butterflies in my area are never this cooperative,so I figure this must be fairly difficult to achieve there too.
Excellent POV and DOF.
The colours are well saturated,nicely done.
TFS

Wolf

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2008-11-09 20:57]

Hello Joe, What a coincidence. I thought of posting the same thing yday. Excelent closeup of this blue jay. Well done Ganesh

Hi Joe,
We have very few butterflies in New Zealand, but we do have a small blue one similar to this.
It is called the Common Blue as well, but is an Australian species, Zizina labradus labradus
There is also an even smaller blue one which is endemic, and only found in the South Island, east of the Southern Alps.
I've yet to get a good shot of either of these since they are so quick, and never seem to settle for more than half a second.
This is a great close up though.
Nice work.
Cheers
Steve

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