Blue Confusion

[CarolineClarke]

Hello all,

I would appreciate some help in my identification of Blue's.... we are fortunate enough to ahve 100's at the farm where i live on the Somerset/Dorset boarder....and i believe this is a common blue? (DSC02170) however, is this a Small Blue? (DSC2302) it was MUCH smaller (25mm?) i have other photos if they would help?...Many thanks in advance!

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Caroline - I think these are all Common Blue, although the first photo is particularly interesting since it "breaks the rules"! This is a Common Blue with no additional spot on the forewing underside, but does have the hindwing spots spaced out!

Some rationale here (which is incomplete at the mo!): http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species_ ... pecies.php

Cheers,

- Pete

[Zonda]

In my garden this morning for comparison.



Ido struggle with these underwing IDs myself.

[Matsukaze]

Small Blues are very rare in Somerset. There are a few small colonies in the Mendips and they somehow managed to colonise the butterfly habitat in south Somerset at Carymoor http://www.carymoor.org.uk/research/But ... vation.htm. I expect they are more common in Dorset where the chalk downs ought to suit them.

[Rimo]

Yes, these are all Common Blue - Small Blue is relatively widespread on chalk downland in Dorset in my experience, but has very distinctive underwings, very different to here

[CarolineClarke]

Dear all,

Many thanks for the clarification...i wondered as the particular site was an old lias quarry...i am also about 3 miles from Carymore so maybe could tempt some across!

[CarolineClarke]

Hello all...i am assuming this is another common blue?

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Caroline,
Yes, that's another Common Blue - plenty around this year!
Neil

[Matsukaze]

Hi Caroline,

If you're interested in encouraging Small Blue to colonise your land, it would be well worth contacting Andrew George from the Carymoor link provided earlier - he has created a number of habitats that this butterfly has colonised, which need not be particularly large.