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Icarus.


Icarus.
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter Stoeckl (peter_stoeckl) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1736 W: 291 N: 4004] (11526)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-10
Categories: Insects
Camera: Minolta Dimage 7Hi
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Blue Things [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-12-04 14:34
Viewed: 5174
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Icarus.

Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775)

Common Blue
Gemeiner Bläuling, Hauhechel-Bläuling
Icarusblauwtje
Almindelig Blåfugl
Puktörneblåvinge
Vanlig blåvinge
Hohtosinisiipi
Modraszek ikar
Modráčik obyčajný
Modrásek jehlicový
Dos Puntos
Argus bleu

Family: Lycaenidae

Wingspan : 28 – 32mm

The neglected Icarus. - Many times in the past when I was thinking of having pictured some less common blue such as Polyommatus dorylas, P. argus, P. semiargus, P. thersites, P. bellargus, or even Aricia agestis, the pictures in the end turned out to show the very common P. icarus. In consequence, I used to stow away and neglect those images. Just right now, while digging in my archives for a series of blues, I found some long forgotten pictures of P. icarus, and reconsidered them to show a pretty and interesting species with many variations that deserved to be studied and maybe also shown here.

Very adaptive, and therefore very successful and common, the Icarus Blue is wide spread in practically all kinds of habitats all over Europe, northern Africa, and temperate Asia, with the exception of Ireland, and some mediterranean islands. Quite variable in size, markings and colours, there are a variety of local races depending on climate and type of habitat.

In cooler climates of northern countries and high elevations up to 2900m in Europe, there is just one generation in June and July, while in southern England, Central and Southern Europe there are 2 – 3 generations to be met from March to November. Icarus caterpillars feed on a broad variety of Fabaceae such as Lotus corniculatus and Medicago lupulina, and they are living in symbiosis wth ants (Lasius niger, Formica subrufa, etc.)

As with many other Lycaenids, sexes look really different and may be mistaken for members of different species. The one sitting here on a Caddysfly larva’s housing is a male.

The Female.

The Underside.


Seen at: Hochberg at Perchtoldsdorf, a dry limestone hill to the south of Vienna.

The camera: Minolta Dimage 7Hi, 2560 x 1920 pixel, sRGB, 50mm macro zoom, F/4, 1/250 sec., ISO-100, hand held, no flash. 10.06.2006, 16:20.

Postwork: Photoshop Elements, cropped, resized to web, resharpened, BG cleaned, levels slighty adjusted.


Literature:

Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: Die Tagfalter Europas und Nordwestafrikas. Stuttgart 1998.

Christopher Jonko: Butterflies and Moths of Europe: http://www.lepidoptera.pl/

Walter Schön: Schmetterling - Raupe: http://www.schmetterling-raupe.de

Thank you for visiting.
Have a very good day.
Juyona, cicindela, eqshannon, jrobertop, tiklod, mariki, jhm, nirmalroberts, XOTAELE, anel, gracious, fartash, Alex99, cecilia, sela, phlr, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To vanderschelden: It certainly got the blues...peter_stoeckl 1 01-04 04:01
To anel: ... verwirrend mit diesen Bläulingenpeter_stoeckl 1 12-07 13:22
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 2232 W: 10 N: 2971] (16891)
  • [2007-12-04 14:38]

Hola amigo,
un buen trabajo,
con magníficos detalles de las alas,
buen color y original pov.
saludos Peter.

Hi Peter or maybe I should write - master of butterfly! :)
Another fantastic, very colourful and shapr photo of Lycaenidae species. Lovely colours and details too.
On the other hand I think I would prefer a little different POV - the right wings are not perfectly seen presently :)
Anyway, this is another very good lesson of lepidopterology :)
Best regards,
Radomir

for anything in the butterfly world, this colour of blue, it would have to be terribly out of focus to not warrant my attention! It is above all my favorite colour and very much more so in nature.
Bob

  • Great 
  • tiklod Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 290 W: 74 N: 875] (3397)
  • [2007-12-04 17:19]

Hello Peter,
The vivid colours, the fine clear details and the DOF are simply amazing in this breathless shot! THE BLUE ON WINGS IS FANTASTIC... (same blue as my Chicory flower!!!) :-)
GREAT SHOT MY FRIEND,

Claude

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 893 W: 0 N: 507] (1853)
  • [2007-12-04 23:19]

Hello Peter,

You're a very great butterfly photographer, again a wonderful position of the butterfly, the wings are exactly maked of plush.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice day,
John.

Hello Peter,

Beautiful sharp picture of this butterfly. Beautiful composition and nice natural colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2007-12-05 1:32]

Hello Peter!
What an amazing shot!
The blue is so vibrent!
Amazing sharpness and clarity.
Very well done,
Joe

Hi Peter,
Beautiful picture. The sharp blue is shining against the OOF dull green. Congratulations and TFS.
- Nirmal

Hello Peter,
Impressive the beauty of this butterfly!
Magnificent coloration and details.
Very good contrast and sharpness.
The green BG enricher the first plan.
Simply marvellous!
Regards,
José Roberto

Una mariposa preciosa, como todas las de la serie.
Buenos contrastes y gran nitidez.
Saludos, JL.

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2007-12-05 7:07]
  • [+]

Lieber Peter,
Es ist wirklich verwirrend mit diesen Bläulingen!
Gestern hat Marcello aus Italien den Polyommatus escheri gezeigt, der sieht gerade so aus wie Dein icarus. Die Grösse allerdings scheint verschieden zu sein. Du hast ja eine Engelsgeduld um all diesen Schwierigkeiten Meister zu werden. Schönes, leuchtendes Bild, sehr schnell als ein Stoeckl-Bild erkennbar.
Herzlichen Dank für Wort und Bild.
Einen schönen Abend
Anne

Hello Peter,
Another of your excellent work of butterfly captured in good pov!
best DOF in totoal sharpness, vivid colour and so much details always
very well done and TFS
best regards always
Tony

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2007-12-05 8:04]

Wow, Peter, what an amazing photo of this butterfly. The DOF is fabulous. Splendid colours in the left wing. Great details, POV and composition. Nice BG.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6525 W: 89 N: 15623] (65353)
  • [2007-12-05 8:41]

the details of eyes is impressive,very nice the wings colours too,thanks for share,Luciano

Complimenti come sempre Peter.
Tu qui chiaramente dimostri come anche una specie comune non è mai una specie banale.
Tutte le tre foto sono magnifiche e illustrano perfettamente questa bella specie.
Grazie,
Marcello

nice details, excellent colours
regards
jo

Hello Peter
Very nice shot of this tiny Blue,
Perfect focusing,exposure and composition,
Superb shot,Welldone.

Regards
fartashphoto.com

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2007-12-05 11:54]

Hi, dear Peter.
Once more brilliant reproduction of the cute Icarus. Amazing combination of nice clear colours. Details and sharpness are terrific. I like this ultra close-up, POV and crop. My best wishes and kind regards.
Alexei.

Really wonderful colour Peter - the detail you have captured is stunning.
Well done
Cecilia

  • Great 
  • sela Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 47 W: 0 N: 39] (738)
  • [2007-12-07 8:53]

Hallo Peter, wenn ich Deine 1 A Qualität Schmetterlinge hier sehe, dann möchte ich am liebsten meine Flattermänner nicht mehr hier zum Leben erwecken. Auch dieser Bläuling ist wieder mal erste Sahne. Vielen Dank.
Lieben Gruß Rose

Very well done Peter, beautiful colors!
Happy New Year!
Howard

Beautiful butterfly image as always, Peter.
It certainly got the blues...
Well done
TFS
Annick

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