Help with Blue Butterfly ID

[kevling]

Hello all,

On a recent visit to Austria, the following blue butterfly was photographed by myself. I seemto be having great difficulty in establishing it's ID, so if anyone can assist , I would be most grateful.

[Padfield]

Do you have any other photos at all of it?

My first instinct is Plebicula dorylas (turquoise blue) but it is quite different from any other dorylas I've seen and I don't live that far from Austria!

Guy

[Roger Gibbons]

I would go for Chalk-hill Blue (Lysandra coridon). They can be very pale. There is just enough of the upperside showing to tend to confirm this. Here is one I took at an altitude of 1700m in the Valais, Switzerland, which looks quite similar.

http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... _-_coridon_

[Padfield]

Yes, Roger is right; that has to be what it is, looking at it in the cool light of day!

It still does look very odd to me, but much more like an odd chalk-hill blue than an odd turquoise blue.

Guy

[NickB]

I have never before noticed too much variation in my local populations of CHB - not especially in the males....
But your pictures jogged my memory and made me revisit last weekend's shots from the Devils Dyke and Fleam Dyke locally here.
The first is a normal CHB male from the growing satellite colony on the Burwell Cutting where it cuts the Devils Dyke ...

The second is from a much smaller colony, but growing slowly and becoming more established on the nearby Fleam Dyke....

Of course, I know it has to be a CHB - but if I were unfamiliar with the place, especially abroad, I think I would probably struggle
..not sure Tolman and Lewington would be too much good if this was the only example you had to go on!

N

[Paul]

What about Amanda's Blue I'm not sure of the Chequered fringes, and the visible part of the forewing edge is dark. ie... If this had less orange???

[NickB]

...not a bad call Paul.......it seems to fit the overall light colouration
... and lack of difference between the colouration of the fore and hind wings...?
But given my track record - I wouldn't put any money on my recommendation

[Paul]

Was my offer of ID not worthy of a comeback from those who really know what they're saying ? ( Guy & Roger ?? ) PS... thanks for the support Nick I really feel the urge to be shot down in flames again

[Padfield]

Sorry Paul - I had missed your post!

For what it's worth, I still think Roger is right - it's chalkhill. I can see why you are trying Mandy, but to me the jizz is quite wrong. I won't try to put my finger on anything in particular - the feel is all wrong. Probably, it's the shape and colour of the forewing that tells me. I knew it wasn't turquoise, and as soon as Roger said 'chalkhill' it suddenly crystallised into that for me.

I'm NOT saying I'm definitely right, but that is definitely what I think!!

Guy

[Paul]

Excellent, that's great... just wanted your opinion