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Common Blue


Common Blue
Photo Information
Copyright: Karen ww (karen64) Silver Note Writer [C: 0 W: 0 N: 20] (78)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-05-18
Categories: Insects
Exposure: f/4.3, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-06-14 14:05
Viewed: 330
Points: 4
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [Polish]
The Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.
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.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Tribe: Polyommatini
Genus: Polyommatus
Species: P. icarus
Binomial name:Polyommatus icarus
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Karen,

Very nice picture of Polyommatus icarus the colours of the Butterfly is wonderful.

Cheers,
Sascha

Hello Karen
nice shot of this Common Blue, beautiful colors, pose and composition
fine details, especially on the head
Very well done
Jacqueline

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