Chalk Hill Blue ab?

[mvpike]

Hi All,

I came across this unusual female Chalk Hill Blue at Badbury Rings, Dorset this morning.

Looking at British Butterfly Aberrations website there is a very similar specimen classed as a mosaic gynandromorph and the abs section of this site mentions ab. semisyngrapha-subaurantia which also looks a reasonably good match?

Any thoughts welcomed . . . .

Mark.

[millerd]

Hi Mark!

Over quite a few years of watching Chalkhill Blues I've come across one or two females like yours with varying amounts of blue scaling on the wings.

As for allocating a particular name... The Victorians loved naming (and collecting!) all the many many variations and aberrations displayed by both sexes of Chalkhill Blues, and the pages on UKB reflect this.

https://ukbutterflies.co.uk/aberrations ... es=coridon

Aside from some of the more consistent and/or extreme ones, I've personally given up trying to attach particular names to the variety seen during almost any walk across the best sites at this time of year!

Cheers,

Dave

[bugboy]

Like Dave, I don't bother with too many of the 'officially' named abs. You need a degree just to get your head around them all and in any case I think most are probably just intermediaries between the more extreme variations. I don't think we can entertain the thought of it being a gynandromorph though.

[mvpike]

Thanks for the thoughts guys, whatever it is it is certainly one of the most unusually coloured female specimens I have come across!

Stood out amongst the 'normal' ones.

Mark.

[Toby Ludlow]

Hi Mark,
Given the fact that the markings on the inner side of the orange border spots appear whitish and are wedge-shaped rather than lunular, I would suggest that ab. albocuneata is a better fit for your aberration. Oh, cracking specimen, by the way!
Regards,
Toby.

[mvpike]

Hi Toby,

I think you may well be spot on with that!

Many thanks for taking the time to have a look, there seem to be so many abs of this species?

Mark.

[Toby Ludlow]

Hi Mark,
Yes, as Dave has stated above, this is a very variable species, often giving rise to aberrant butterflies. Indeed, it was a real favourite of the Victorian collectors because of that. At many sites where this butterfly exists, it can be seen in the thousands, and this along with its nature of roosting low down on grass or flower heads are factors that only increase ones chances of finding these aberrations. I hope you find many more!
Best wishes,
Toby

[mvpike]

Thanks Toby,

I have a particular interest in looking for abs, done the 'normal' versions of all species some years ago but doubt I will ever get through all those abs in my lifetime, unless I live to be about 265 of course . . . . .

All the best,

Mark.