What is this?

[David M]

Sent to me on 7th June, this was taken at Compton Bay, Isle of Wight.

Anyone got any ideas?

[bugboy]

My first impression was female Holly Blue but the wing shape is all wrong. Doesn't look like an Adonis. Female Common Blue would be my next choice. Given the location I can't really see it being anything else.

[millerd]

My money is on it being a female Holly Blue. The black forewing border is unusually wide, but the black spot visible on the forewing does appear sometimes. The butterfly appears to be in flight, which unhelpfully tends to distort wing shape. I've just posted this one from late May, which doesn't have the same extensive border but to me seems to have the same feel about it.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Thanks, Paul/Dave.

It really doesn't look like anything in Europe, let alone Britain. I think female Holly Blue is probably the preferred suggestion given the sheer scale of the black marginal bands, but I've never seen one with such a broad band along the costa. Bizarre!

[Jack Harrison]

Pretty obvious to me, especially given the location, Compton Bay I of W.

Hybrid Glanville Fritillary x Grizzled Skipper.

Jack

[Padfield]

Very interesting butterfly! I tend to agree with Buggy that it is a common blue female. The wing shape rules out holly blue for me - and the situation, flying low in a field with clover is pretty unusual for holly blue. The fringe looks like common blue (and not like Lysandra sp. or holly). Finally, on blowing up the picture I think there are typical submarginal lunules around the hindwing. There is a (sort of) similar female common blue aberration on British Butterfly Aberrations here:

https://britishbutterflyaberrations.co. ... A4wZy.jpeg

Guy

[Vince Massimo]

I think we have narrowed this down. Here is an image by Paul Chapman from our aberrations album showing an individual with the same forewing markings taken in Kent in 2020.

Paul Chapman

Original image for comparison

Vince

[David M]

Thanks, Guy/Vince. I'm pretty sure you have nailed it there!