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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: 2007-08-19
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon Powershot S3 IS
Exposure: f/2.7, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 'Blues' of the Butterfly World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-08-28 6:03
Viewed: 453
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Common Blue captured on a chalky hill in Blueberry, Oxfordshire.

The Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) 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.

Thankyou for your comments
PaulH, Argus, eqshannon, uleko, ellis49, ramthakur, Alex99, Silke, nglen, jmirah, pierrefonds, anavazao, marhowie, gannu has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: DOFjoey 1 08-29 00:13
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 23 N: 3656] (13083)
  • [2007-08-28 6:16]

Hi Joe,
composition and focus are spot on, this is a fine looking specimen. Those antenna are very impressive!
tfs
Paul

Wonderful composition on the twig, hanging at that angle.
Great colors and great sharpness! :)
Ken52 told me once that if the antenna are clear, it's a good butterfly shot!

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1899 W: 36 N: 5579] (18518)
  • [2007-08-28 6:27]

Hi Joe,
Wonderful shot of the Common Blue with immaculate sharpness and lovely colours. Spot-on focus on its eyes and the antennaes looks awesome. It stands out well from the BG and the lighting is superb. Excellent POV to portray it and very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 190 N: 11348] (34987)
  • [2007-08-28 6:30]

Hello Joe,
Excellent capture of the underside of a female Common Blue: I like the way you focused sharply on the front part of the b'fly to have the head and both antennae sharply in focus. Great pose, POV, composition and BG!
Well done and TFS!
Ivan

Excels in focus and clarity. Highlites important details, in addition to overall subject. Well noted, as is your usual method. Very well done sir.

Bob

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2992 W: 162 N: 950] (2789)
  • [2007-08-28 6:42]

Hello Joe,
Wow, I think this little one looks so beautiful in that pose! Excellent POV, great focus on the head and lovely natural colours. Nice contrasting background and a fine composition.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Hi Joe,
a very fine picture with good sharpness for the antennea and the frontand DOF is also good but I think if you had used just a smaller aperture like 3.5 or 4.0 the picture had got a more great DOF with the whole butterfly in focus and still the BG in nice OOF but it's very good as it is.
Well composed with nice colours.
Well done.

Very attractive, sharp and colourful picture of the Common Blue species, Joe.
Effective POV, DOF and clarity.
TFS and take care.

bonjour joe
un peu juste et netteté sur le bout des ailes mais en revanche la tête est parfaite.
les coulerus sont tres belles aussi.
laurent

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3585 W: 143 N: 5669] (18533)
  • [2007-08-28 8:52]

Hi Joe.
You have selected a pictured subject very well. Alone butterfly, well separated from other objects and BG is looked very attractively. DOF and sharpness of the insect image is great as well as the great is nicely blurred BG. I also like soft impressive lighting and delicate colours of the shot. My kind regards and TFS.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 727 W: 98 N: 1694] (5406)
  • [2007-08-28 9:19]

Wow! The details on this are amazing! Such clarity, right down to the striped antennae!
A perfect posting
TFS
silke

Hello Joe,
Beayttiful butterfly. Well composed.
Nice colours.
Never saw one here...
TFS
Annick

Hi Joe, you too a common blu:) very fine butterfly with splendid colors and great sharpness, excellent light, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2908 W: 34 N: 8625] (32146)
  • [2007-08-28 12:01]

Hello joe. Great markings for a butterfly called the Common blue. you have captured it with fine detail and sharp focusing. bright colours. well done TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • jmirah Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 506 W: 5 N: 1135] (4665)
  • [2007-08-28 14:26]

Hi Joey,
Very nice capture of the little guy. Excellent comp showing the colorful and fantastically detailed wings and body. Really well done.

TFS
Jim

Hi Joe,

A nice image of the butterfly, the photo has a good composition, DOF and nice colors. Thanks for sharing.

Pierre

hi friend,
This is a fine macro shot, the details are awesome!
Well composed prewsentation with good details!
take care Ana:)

Hi Joe,
Great job with the equipment at hand.
I think you've done a fanatastic job here..However, I have a a whole differnt approach to macro photography. It's more painstaking than most will adhere to...
I always strive to acheive the greatest DOF with what I have to work with. IMHO F/2.7 is not enough here (open to debate).
Patience and perserverence is the key...
You must be a fanatic..
Well done!
Howard

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2262 W: 10 N: 2630] (15565)
  • [2007-08-28 15:48]

Hola Joe,
preciosa captura, una bella y nítida macro,
sensacional trabajo,
saludos

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2007-08-29 4:31]

Joey, amazing and lovely. The shot and BG is wonderful. Thanks for sharing Ganesh

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