Thanks to you all for your contributions

I haven't got any pictures of the underside, but I did take a picture of another couple of butterflies which might have been related and I also don't know.

When in Spain, I found this down by the beach about 15 miles east of Malaga. It looks like a female Holly Blue, but it seemed rather smaller than the Holly Blues we get in the garden in Fareham, more like the size of a Small Blue. I know that many members know about these things and love a chance to...

I think it is definitely "do what you think is best". You can have a butterfly on its own on an indistinct background, which might be 3:2, 4:3, 5:4, or the same vertically. When you put it on a flower, you may need the flower for completeness, so it widens the net (excuse the pun) even fur...

While I was composing my previous reply, Brian put his latest comments up, and now I am confused again. Pete, could you please rewrite what you meant to say in the first place, or perhaps confirm my understandin (provided that it is right).

Many thanks, Henry

Thanks for the help, I am still not sure that I understand Brian's remark "did you mean ESSEX?" because I thought Pete said Essex. Just to make sure I understand (I think) that first if there is no change in colour of the antennae, then it is a small. If there is a change in colour, and th...

I am either stupid or confused or both, but I have looked at many examples on the net and in my book and I can prove that they are neither, depending what I look at. They came from different places on different days. At least I think that they are both the same species. Many thanks, Henry Kemm http:...

You mention the "sex brand". What is it please.

Many thanks,
Henry

Last time I asked a silly question I hit the jackpot. However, this time, I would just lilke to know whether this is a small or an Essex. I took it near Portchester in Hampshire almost on the beach. Many thanks, Henry http://upload9.postimage.org/202477/2007_07_09PortchesterSmallSkipper03.jpg [/img]

I have consulted a couple of experts, and it turns out that although I took threee series of pictures in different places at different times over about 80 minutes, they were not three different butterflies, but all the same one. They therefore considered that it was a migrant from the continent. How...

It never occurred to me to look at the rarer ones, but when I do, my book agrees absolutely with your diagnosis. Many thanks.

I took this on a path at Old Winchester Hill in Hampshire yesterday. The habitat is mainly grass, but there is a reasonable amount of woodland as well. It looks almost exactly like a picture on the website by Peter Eeles of a silver washed raised in captivity, but otherwise I am at a loss. My main d...