Polish Blues

[Vince Massimo]

I have had a couple of photos sent to me by a friend visiting Poland. Both taken in Krakow this week.
The first is the size of a Large Blue

The second is quite small

I have an idea what they may be, but would welcome confirmation.

A Copper was also seen which I have tentatively identified as a Large Copper ssp dispar.

Many thanks,
Vince

[Padfield]

Hi Vince. The first blue looks most like telejus. You can confirm this by asking about the habitat and presence of sanguisorbe. The next is argiades. I agree with the copper.

Nice set of three butterflies to see!

Guy

[Matsukaze]

A pedant writes...I do not question the identity of the Large Copper, but it is not Lycaena dispar dispar, which is the extinct British sub-species.

[Padfield]

Good point Matsukaze. I didn't read that attentively enough.

I don't like being outpedanted!!

Guy

[Vince Massimo]

Many thanks for your input Guy and Matsukaze . I will pass the information on.

Vince

[rezamink]

Many thanks to Vince and Guy for ID help!

I'm now back from Krakow, but am disappointed to find there are NO books available on Polish Butterflies (I guess this means they must be very under recorded?)

In terms of the Large Blue, unfortunately it was Blowing a gale at the time, I found it on a clump of tall reddish flowers (Very possibly burnett), impossible to get a photo as it was moving about too much... eventually it got blown off into the grass where I took the shot. I've included a habitat shot from just further along. It's the grass bank between the large river and the (rather nice!) cycleway.

Fabulously my new camera has built in GPS which tags the photo's! so the position of the large blue shot was:
Lat: 50;2;13.668
Long: 19;53;35.406
Alt: 206.4

I had a further hour or so Yesterday before we flew out, I managed to find a superb grassland site which was overrun with blues... loads of photos to sort out! but will upload further shots as I progress!

Here's a very small blue that looked rather like a silver-studded? the two shots of underwings and uppers are of the same individual:

Regards

Damian

[rezamink]

Oh Yes!

and an old (But beautiful) skipper.... I didn't get an underwing shot!

Regards

Damian

[rezamink]

Here's a habitat photo for the 'Blues site':

and the other side of the rise, is the chalk quarry (Now a lake, used by 'Cliff divers'):

[Padfield]

Hi Damian. The blue is idas and the skipper, you might or might not be pleased to know, dingy.

Poland is adequately covered, for ID purposes, by the European books. Nothing flies there that is not included in Tolman, Higgins and Riley, Lafranchis, &c. &c. But it's interesting to learn there are no books devoted exclusively to Polish butterflies.

Guy

[rezamink]

Ha!

Thanks guy.... I like getting photos of British Butterflies abroad just as much as finding new species (Idas blue is a new one for me!) so best of both worlds here....

I had this one down as Reverdin's female? but based off your previous post, I guess this is Idas as well?

Same individual as above:

Regards

Damian

Ps: I presume the Scarce Large Blue ID is confirmed (rather than Dusky?)

[rezamink]

Photos all now sorted!

I think I have 3 further species!

Chalkhill Blue?

Common Blue?

Brown Argus?

Cheers!

Damian