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Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758)


Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photo Information
Copyright: Paulo Henrique Lopes Rodrigues (phlr) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1237 W: 130 N: 882] (2821)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08-05
Categories: Insects
Camera: FujiFilm FinePix 6900 Zoom, Fujinon 6x zoom, Digital
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/350 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): European Butterflies 3, The Skippers / Hesperiidae Europe [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-08-08 13:50
Viewed: 6935
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
At August 5th I made a journey to the Mountain of Alvão, with my friends from TAGIS – Butterflies Conservation Center of Portugal.
One of the most beautiful mountains in Portugal where exists the habitat of one of the rarest species of butterflies in Portugal: Maculinea alcon.
There, I had the opportunity to take photos of several species of butterflies and this (Hesperia comma) was one of them.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to take a single photo of Maculinea alcon!

This specie is known as “Silver-spotted skipper” in english and it hasn’t a common name in portuguese yet.

In my country, we can se it fly at north of Tejo river, from July till August till 1500 meters of altitude. It can reach a wingspan from 28mm till 32mm. The youngest individuals have a green colour on the underside wings. So this is an old one.

We have only one generation. It hibernates in egg state live form. This species is single-brooded; eggs are laid singly on the leaves of sheep's-fescue growing in a short sward next to patches of bare soil. The eggs remain un-hatched through winter; caterpillars emerge in early spring and feed beneath small protective webs.

This butterfly is orange-brown in colour with pale spots that are more noticeable on females. The underside is pale brown with silvery spots, and males have a black band on the upperside of the forewing.
The underside gives the species its name and differentiates it from the superficially similar "Large skipper" (Ochlodes venatus).

The caterpillar reaches 2.6 cm in length, and has a dull olive green body with a black collar behind the large black head.

Breeds on warm, south facing slopes in open chalk grassland with short turf and patches of bare soil. The presence of the larval foodplants, sheep's-fescue (Festuca ovina); Festuca ovina or Lolium perenne is essential.

Tha adult likes the nectar from many flowers including asters, goldenrods and blazing star.

Hoppe you like it!
Till September!
eruyanik, honza, liquidsunshine, petrudamsa, Christopher_PL, peter_stoeckl, firelord, Dando, goutham_ramesh, Harm-digitaal, jcoowanitwong, anavazao, horia, volkan, ridvan, izler, Silvio2006, Royaldevon, Alex99, liziafa has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Royaldevon: Hello Bevphlr 1 11-04 03:45
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Paulo,
Great shot of this skipper! i like this pov and the plain bg. That thistle is a bonus to your shot also. Your notes har great infos and observations about him.
TFS!
Ersin

  • Great 
  • honza Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 533 W: 0 N: 720] (4197)
  • [2006-08-08 15:54]

Nice photo of this little butterfly. I like composition, sharpness and colors.

Hi Paulo,
The details are nice, clear and sharp.
Good colours, lighting and exposure. DOF is spot on and the POV is good.
Well composed and excellent notes.
Thanks for posting, have a great summer break.

Hi Paulo

Clear, beautiful and informative, like all your insects photos.
They say at the news that there are nasty forest fires in Portugal and Spain. I hope everything is OK in your region.

Regards, Petru

Hi
Great shot of this small skipper. Nice smooth backround, very good composition - thanks

Chris

Hi Paulo,
dynamic shot of that skipper with a very direct approach to its face, and still there is a good sharpness all over the wings to show the markings in a well describing way. Thank you for showing this fresh capture from your very awarding and beautiful trip to the mountain of Alvão!
With best regards,
Peter

Hi Paulo.
Here it is the result from ower weekend.
Great in all thecnical aspects.
Very well done.
Thanks for sharing.
My best regards.

Filipe Caetano.

  • Great 
  • Dando Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 637 W: 32 N: 792] (3084)
  • [2006-08-09 12:11]

Hi Paulo, nice shot. Great colours, lighting and details. I would have perhaps shown more of the flower and had less space at the head but still a great shot. Well done and TFS.
Dean.

Hi Paulo,
Great picture with a very good POV, Good note too
TFS
Goutham R

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 955 W: 0 N: 89] (7805)
  • [2006-08-17 8:04]

Hi Paulo
Nice shot. Good colours, details, BG, DOF, light and POV.
Well done Paulo

osse

Hello Paulo,
Nice shot on this skipper. Composition, pov, dof, exposure are great. Very well done and TFS.
JC

Olá,
Boas férias para ti também! Como sempre uma foto muito boacom uns detalhes e cores excellentes!
Thanks Ana:)

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-08-22 20:52]

Hello Paulo

Very nice shot.The colours are very beautiful.Nicely composed and excellent DOF and POV.TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 751 W: 31 N: 20] (5100)
  • [2006-09-21 3:31]

Hi Paulo,
good shot, nice macro. I like the DOF and colours also. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2158 W: 224 N: 4749] (16656)
  • [2006-10-15 10:23]

Helo Pedro

A very beautiful shot of this lovely butterfly you have here!
I really love the natural vivid colors here! Also great are the blue blurry spots in the BG...they give an excellent atmosphere to the shot.
Very nice details, lighting and POV, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

  • Great 
  • OzBY Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 183 W: 2 N: 351] (1355)
  • [2007-02-13 2:55]

Hi Paulo,

Great picture of this buterfly
Great color, lightening, composition, background and sharpness

Oz

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 540 W: 87 N: 750] (10)
  • [2007-03-29 12:32]

hi Paulo,
belle image et point de vue tout à fait pensé. La lumière est bien exploité, les couleurs vives.

tfs

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 498 W: 0 N: 1136] (5205)
  • [2007-04-07 17:13]

Hello paulo,
This is a beautiful capture, excellent macro work with great details and colours.good backgraound well done! tfs
sincerely
ridvan

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1387 W: 3 N: 9] (44)
  • [2007-06-16 13:01]

hello phlr
well close-up working on this beautiful and cute skipper
i like composition, point of view, blurred background, lighting, colours, sharpness, details and note
thanks for sharing
regards
izler

Hi Paulo, wonderful skipper and beautiful flower with splendid colors, excellent details and great sharpness, very well done, have a nice week end, ciao Silvio

Hello Paulo,

This is a very sharp and detailed shot of your silver spotted skipper taken from less common POV! It is interesting to see its proboscis searching for nectar! It is a good shot of the thistle too!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Many thanks for helping to identify my butterfly! Did you mean it was uncommon in Europe?

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2008-08-07 5:36]

Hi Paulo.
Wonderful close-up of a very cute scene. I like excellent reproduction of all details and attractive features of the insect and flower, pleasant, so natural and well blurred BG, superb exposure and lighting. My kind regards and TFS.
Alexei.

Hi Paulo,
Very good shot. This is beautifull butterfly.
Good job!!!!
TFS Malgosia

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