This was taken at Garston Wood during early July - on the same day I managed to find my Valesina - and it was the star of the morning right up until I spotted the Greenish lurking in the shadows. It was a fantastic morning, warm and sunny and I had the whole reserve to myself and had set up camp as it were in the newly cleared area. This Small Copper appeared almost as soon as I'd poured my coffee (this technique seems to work better than any lure, bait or inside knowlegde for me - no butterflies , pour a coffee, butterflies out the yin yang) and posed nicely on a log. I noticed two or three other Small Coppers flitting about and so I started a new game. I'd bet on whether they were caeruleopunctata or not. I'd watch them settle and then wait for them to open their wings before I could find out whether my bet was correct...
Is it or isn't it? Hmmmm, I'll go for not.
In the end I found 4 Small Copper in this small area, 1 of which was a quite heavily marked caeruleopuntata, one very slightly marked and 2 normal, and I managed to only guess one out of four correct - not good!
Have a goodun
Wurzel