<< Previous Next >>

Common Blue (male)


Common Blue (male)
Photo Information
Copyright: Heinz Koloska (wallhalla15) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1801 W: 73 N: 3356] (13787)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08
Categories: Insects
Camera: Fujifilm Finepix S7000, Raynox DCR 250 macro lens
Exposure: f/4, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-08-17 1:23
Viewed: 628
Points: 36
[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
batu, red45, carper, coasties, scottevers7, ellis49, Fisher, RAP, sAner, Christopher_PL, mogens-j has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
None
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1010 W: 285 N: 3338] (11038)
  • [2006-08-17 2:10]

Guten Morgen Heinz,
ein perfektes Bild von diesem fransenreinen icarus. Rüssel, beide Fühler und alle Beine sind im Fokus, Körper und Flügel sowieso. Das sieht man nicht so oft.
Einen schönen Gruß,
Peter

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2830 W: 75 N: 8024] (26861)
  • [2006-08-17 2:17]

Hello Heinz!
Very nice macro of this tiny beauty. I like POV, delicate colours and blurred BG. Excellent note. Great post my friend!

Another very nice photo of this Common Blue. good composition and BG
Best regards
JJ

perfect shot my friend,
well taken photo, good point of view, nice composition and fine quality, good job.
gr. jaap

Hello Heinz

This is a perfect shot. Lovely colours, nice close details with good clarity. :-)

Hello Heinze, perfect details, excllent colors Bg POV details, very crisp, nicely exposed and composed, Great work, TFS Kyle

Hi Heinz,
That is a flawlessly composed and framed shot. About as perfect as it gets. Beautiful color saturation! Nice sharp detail. EXCELLENT!
Scott

Hi Heinz,
this is a good picture of the Blue one, the pose is very nice wiht antennea hanging down. Maybe it's a bit tight in front of him, the POV is veru nice. Good details and DOF.
Well done, my friend.

Very cute image, I like the downward pointing antanae.

Great composition and POV. Good sharpness.

Hi Hienz,

Beautiful view and well done on the composition.

Mike

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-08-17 9:21]

Bonita imagen con buen colorido y un DOF exacto... F4 dejó sólo en foco la mariposa y la flor donde está apoyada.
Buen encuadre y un fondo limpio que colabora con la visión del insecto.
Saludos... Ricardo

Nice image with good coloring and exact DOF... F4 captured only in focus the butterfly and the flower where it is leaning.
Good framing and a clean bottom that it collaborates with the vision of the insect.
Greetings... Ricardo

Hallo mein Liebling - heute sitzt Du auf einer schönen gelben Blume! (Ich rede natürlich gerade mit dem Bläuling!!!)
Aber auch an Dich ein herzliches Hallo, lieber Heinz. Diese Bläulinge haben es Dir wohl auch angetan, Du hast ein richtiges Sortiment von ihnen auf den verschiedensten Blumen.
Ach wie toll, bin neidisch daß Du schon so viele Gelegenheiten hattest, diesen tollen Schmetterling zu sehen und zu fotografieren.
Super, vielen Dank und liebe Grüße
Sabine - wishnugaruda

A fantastic capture Heinz,
The details are nice, clear and sharp.
Good colours, lighting and exposure. DOF is spot on and the POV is good.
Well composed.
Thanks for posting, enjoy the rest of the week.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2006-08-18 5:14]

Excellent picture Heinz. The colors are splendid and the DOF is great. Good POV and composition too. I can see some noise in the bg, but it's not distracting at all. The bg is nice and oof. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 788 W: 31 N: 20] (5002)
  • [2006-08-18 5:30]

Hi Heinz,
superb macro, good composition, colours and DOF. Interesting note. Well done photo.
Rgs, Aleksander

Hello Heintz
Very good picture of Common Blue. Nice colours and composition.
TFS

Chris

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 107 N: 4804] (21334)
  • [2006-08-20 11:35]

Great macro Heinz, sharp, well exposed and a superb color scheme ! Well done agin !

Mario

Excellent picture Heinz.Perfect dof with a well blurred background to set off the butterfly nicely. Great sharpness all over the mainsubject and very nice, natural colours. All put together in an excellent composition. - Very informative notre too.

mogens

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF