June 2015

[David M]

In total agreeance.

Me too. The size and general wing shape scream Common Blue to me.

[Jack Harrison]

The agree-edness is becoming quite catching.

Jack

[Mark Tutton]

I think we all concur - many thanks for your input chaps.
Regards
Mark

[adrian riley]

An acquaintance of mine photographed this blue near Ringwood recently and thinks it may be an early Chalk Hill Blue - it is a good distance away from any sites that I know of and three weeks early. To me it does not really register as Chalk Hill - the black margins of the fore wings are not even enough and I think I can detect some orange in them, and there is also no black margin to the hindwings.
I think it is an aberrant Common Blue similar to the one seen by Pippa on the species pages?
The link to the photo only brings up half for some reason but picture is here http://avondiary.net/images15/chalkhb.jpg

Any thoughts?

Sorry to disagree with my learned colleagues but I must throw the following into the discussion:

1. Size is perhaps an unwise basis on which to arrive at an identification as it is very difficult to ascertain from a photograph and there can sometimes be an overlap in icarus and argus.

2. Hybrids are as rare as rocking horse manure and should not, in the vast majority of cases, be identified as such without examination of the genitalia or DNA analysis.

3. Having looked now at relevant literature, and having been familiar with both species for nigh on 50 years, I believe the following suite of taxonomic features preclude icarus.
i. The absence of orange lunules on the submargins of fore- and/or hindwings
ii. The absence of dark spots in the submargin of the forewing.
iii. The lack of a whitish patch centered on s8 & s9 of the forewing.
iv. The presence of a conspicuous dense parallel black marginal band from the forewing tornus to apex.
v. The lack of an obvious forewing discal spot.
vi. The more conspicuous and longer white cilia of the wing fringes.
vii. The presence of a white leading edge to the costa.

3. At the risk of inviting the comment 'Well, you must have misidentified the specimen in your photo...' Please see Fig 117 (p 154) in my book on the British and Irish Butterflies. Apart from the slightly paler ground colour, the individual pictured is extremely close to the one in question.

Therefore, there is still no doubt in my mind that it is Silver-studded Blue.

Kindest regards,
Adrian Riley

Adrian Riley

[MrSp0ck]

We have a form of female Common Blue, which is bright blue with black border to the wings, This picture was taken on film years ago. At the time the only blue [other than Small and Holly] on site was Common Blue, and we have not had Silver Studded Blue since the 1960s when it was ssp cretaceous.

I think this is similar to the original picture.

[Testudo Man]

Visited Lullingstone Country Park on the 21/6/15, the target species being Dark Green Fritillary.
Other species seen on the day were - plenty of Marbled White, Small and Large Skipper, Small Heath, Common Blue, A worn Green Hairstreak, Meadow Brown and Red Admiral.
Its only the 2nd time/year Ive visited this site, so very pleased with my sightings/photos...and a bonus for me, because its just a 20 minute drive from home

Location - Lullingstone Country Park, Eynsford, Kent.

Some highlights of the day, cheers Paul.
This 1st photo is not cropped.

And a female Marbled White.

[Tony Moore]

Plenty of very crisp Mountain Ringlets at Irton Fell today.

Tony M.

[Willrow]

Cors Caron NNR, Tregaron, Powys I saw at least 14 Large Heath today in this most southerly part of the British Isles where the butterfly exists. This beautiful location holds the polydama race, Large Heath is a rather cryptic and enigmatic butterfly, it seems well suited to this raised bog habitat. I was pleased to also witness (and photograph) a mating pair from attachment...they certainly don't hang about ...to completion - 15 minutes in all!!!

Large Heath posing on heather...

Paired Large Heath

You can find further details of my visit to Cors Caron on my Personal Diary

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[adrian riley]

We have a form of female Common Blue, which is bright blue with black border to the wings, This picture was taken on film years ago. At the time the only blue [other than Small and Holly] on site was Common Blue, and we have not had Silver Studded Blue since the 1960s when it was ssp cretaceous.

Picture1.jpg

I think this is similar to the original picture.

I agree wholeheartedly. Your image is clearly a Common Blue. The forewings are sharply pointed at the apex, there are orange lunules along the hindwing submargin and there is a conspicuous forewing discal spot (see my detailed reply). No-one in their right mind would suggest this is Silver-studded Blue.

Cheers,
Adrian

[Greenie]

Did my transect at High Elms LNR near Bromley today . Apart from Meadow Brown and Ringlet , numbers still low .
Half way through , I was about to exit the 5 bar gate out of Burnt Gorse , when , 2 metres in front of me , on the top bar of the gate ,
was a Large Tortoiseshell , settled with wings open . Without taking my eyes off the butterfly , I slowly raised my camera from my hip .
Half way up and the LT snapped it's wings shut , and I never even got my eye to the viewfinder before it was off , almost vertically ,
clearing the surrounding high trees with ease . Four things confirmed my identification , the size , I was photographing a female Sm.T
yesterday and this was noticeably bigger . Yesterday's female Sm.T was rich red , this was dull, rusty red . I noted the four black spots
on the forewing and the lack of a white spot on the corner of those wings . I was gutted not to have managed a photograph as it was in very
good condition , not like my only other sighting , some 10 years ago or so , when the specimen lacked most of it's hindwings along with damage to it's forewings , but even so , I managed to get two shots to support the identification .
Twenty minutes later in another glade , I saw a fast flying , dull coloured , large butterfly about 25 metres away , flying backwards and forwards
at the end of the glade , before exiting in the same fashion as the other sighting .
I cannot be sure about this second sighting , same butterfly or a second , but I have no doubts about the first .

[Jack Harrison]

I would have thought that Scarce Tortoiseshell was more likely being an offspring of the successful hibernators following last summer's influx.

Scarce or Large, either species was a brilliant find.

Jack

[Padfield]

An acquaintance of mine photographed this blue near Ringwood recently and thinks it may be an early Chalk Hill Blue - it is a good distance away from any sites that I know of and three weeks early. To me it does not really register as Chalk Hill - the black margins of the fore wings are not even enough and I think I can detect some orange in them, and there is also no black margin to the hindwings.
I think it is an aberrant Common Blue similar to the one seen by Pippa on the species pages?
The link to the photo only brings up half for some reason but picture is here http://avondiary.net/images15/chalkhb.jpg

Any thoughts?

Sorry to disagree with my learned colleagues but I must throw the following into the discussion:

1. Size is perhaps an unwise basis on which to arrive at an identification as it is very difficult to ascertain from a photograph and there can sometimes be an overlap in icarus and argus.

2. Hybrids are as rare as rocking horse manure and should not, in the vast majority of cases, be identified as such without examination of the genitalia or DNA analysis.

3. Having looked now at relevant literature, and having been familiar with both species for nigh on 50 years, I believe the following suite of taxonomic features preclude icarus.
i. The absence of orange lunules on the submargins of fore- and/or hindwings
ii. The absence of dark spots in the submargin of the forewing.
iii. The lack of a whitish patch centered on s8 & s9 of the forewing.
iv. The presence of a conspicuous dense parallel black marginal band from the forewing tornus to apex.
v. The lack of an obvious forewing discal spot.
vi. The more conspicuous and longer white cilia of the wing fringes.
vii. The presence of a white leading edge to the costa.

3. At the risk of inviting the comment 'Well, you must have misidentified the specimen in your photo...' Please see Fig 117 (p 154) in my book on the British and Irish Butterflies. Apart from the slightly paler ground colour, the individual pictured is extremely close to the one in question.

Therefore, there is still no doubt in my mind that it is Silver-studded Blue.

Kindest regards,
Adrian Riley

Adrian Riley

Just to clarify: are we all agreed the abdomen indicates this is a female butterfly; Adrian, are you suggesting it is a female silver-stud?

Guy

[bugboy]

Good numbers of Dark Green frits (20+) and Marbled Whites (50+) plus a few Ringlets and plenty of Meadow Browns at Box Hill today, the 'June gap' has officially ended

[David M]

Daneway Banks, Glos, between 9.20 and 11.30am on Tuesday 23rd June:

Marbled White 300-500, Meadow Brown 100-200, Ringlet & Large Skipper 30-50, Common Blue 30-40, Small Tortoiseshell 10-15, Large Blue 8, Large White, Small Heath & Small Blue 2, Painted Lady, Dark Green Fritillary & Green Hairstreak 1.

M40 Compensation Area, Bernwood Forest, Oxon, between 1.30 and 5.30pm on 23rd June:

Meadow Brown 40-60, Large Skipper & Ringlet 30-50, Black Hairstreak 25-35, Speckled Wood 10-15, Small Tortoiseshell 5-10, Large White 2, Green Veined White 2, Dingy Skipper 2, Red Admiral 1.

[Testudo Man]

Finally...............................the White-letter Hairstreaks have put in their first appearance this season, in my back garden, on my lawn, today (24/6/15) at approx 4.00pm
2 were sighted, lets hope for a few more now. I will update my old thread from last year, with a photo

Location - In my garden, Kent...Cheers Paul

[njs5870]

21 June
First visit to Glapthorn Cow Pastures and saw 4+ Black Hairstreak.

23 June
Quick trip to Whixall Moss where saw 30+ Large Heath. Really did think I wasn't going to get a photo but eventually found a tame one. Then onto Prees Heath where there were loads of Silver-studded Blues emerging. Also Ringlet

[Willrow]

By golly David...thats some butterflying trip, did you stop to take breath Getting your eye in for your hols now

BW's

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[adrian riley]

An acquaintance of mine photographed this blue near Ringwood recently and thinks it may be an early Chalk Hill Blue - it is a good distance away from any sites that I know of and three weeks early. To me it does not really register as Chalk Hill - the black margins of the fore wings are not even enough and I think I can detect some orange in them, and there is also no black margin to the hindwings.
I think it is an aberrant Common Blue similar to the one seen by Pippa on the species pages?
The link to the photo only brings up half for some reason but picture is here http://avondiary.net/images15/chalkhb.jpg

Any thoughts?

Sorry to disagree with my learned colleagues but I must throw the following into the discussion:

1. Size is perhaps an unwise basis on which to arrive at an identification as it is very difficult to ascertain from a photograph and there can sometimes be an overlap in icarus and argus.

2. Hybrids are as rare as rocking horse manure and should not, in the vast majority of cases, be identified as such without examination of the genitalia or DNA analysis.

3. Having looked now at relevant literature, and having been familiar with both species for nigh on 50 years, I believe the following suite of taxonomic features preclude icarus.
i. The absence of orange lunules on the submargins of fore- and/or hindwings
ii. The absence of dark spots in the submargin of the forewing.
iii. The lack of a whitish patch centered on s8 & s9 of the forewing.
iv. The presence of a conspicuous dense parallel black marginal band from the forewing tornus to apex.
v. The lack of an obvious forewing discal spot.
vi. The more conspicuous and longer white cilia of the wing fringes.
vii. The presence of a white leading edge to the costa.

3. At the risk of inviting the comment 'Well, you must have misidentified the specimen in your photo...' Please see Fig 117 (p 154) in my book on the British and Irish Butterflies. Apart from the slightly paler ground colour, the individual pictured is extremely close to the one in question.

Therefore, there is still no doubt in my mind that it is Silver-studded Blue.

Kindest regards,
Adrian Riley

Adrian Riley

Just to clarify: are we all agreed the abdomen indicates this is a female butterfly; Adrian, are you suggesting it is a female silver-stud?

Guy

I agree it is female. I cede to my betters. Wish you were on my side! Don't always trust a professional-they are human, too.
Well done, Gang.
Adrian

[MrSp0ck]

First Essex Skipper today at Roundshaw Down, Sutton. Ringlet and Marbled Whites also in good numbers too. A worn female Painted Lady was seen on the path.

[P.J.Underwood]

BOTANY BAY and FAIRMILE COMMON.
Today I commenced my walks to the middle of Botany Bay on the look out for an early Purple Emperor.No such luck,but I did see my first Silver Washed Fritillary and one lone Wood White-perhaps the last remaining of the first brood which was rather scant.The most I counted on the few occasions I went looking for them was 8.
I then went to Fairmile common,having been there in the Winter on a fungal foray.I was not let down,it is indeed a hotspot for Silver Studded blues.I saw about a dozen in the first 10 minutes,and that was enough for me.
P.J.Underwood