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Blues in Sweden
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:06 pm
by Paulcrook
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:08 pm
by Dave McCormick
I am nearly sure the last two are Holly Blues. I don't really know rest now.
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:32 am
by JKT
I would venture to say:
Polyommatus semiargus
Polyommatus amandus
Polyommatus icarus
Polyommatus icarus
Polyommatus icarus
Celastrina argiolus
Celastrina argiolus,
but there is a small question mark on the worn female amandus and a big problem with the icaruses: there is also a record of Polyommatus dorylas from Sweden and I have no idea how common it is there, nor do I know off-hand how to tell it apart from icarus. Padfield?
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:26 am
by Padfield
The second one is a geranium argus, Eumedonia eumedon. One of the key identifiers for this species is that 99% of the time it is sitting on a geranium!
Guy
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:29 am
by Padfield
You don't have any glimpses of the uns for 3, 4 and 5, do you? Even rubbish pictures might help pin down the species.
Guy
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:07 pm
by JKT
padfield wrote:The second one is a geranium argus, Eumedonia eumedon.
I really should have noticed the forewing dots.
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:01 pm
by Padfield
JKT, I just happen to have a thriving colony of geranium arguses in my garden so it's one of those butterflies that I can recognise instantly on jizz.
I'm sure JKT is right about the
semiargus and
argiolus (and Dave for the
argiolus).
It's true that the other male blue looks very good indeed for
dorylas. The hind margin is not as clean white as the
dorylas in Switzerland (this butterfly has half-greying) but apart from that it is classic in every way. I would certainly consider that a possibility if the picture was taken in S.E. Sweden or one of the islands off the Swedish coast. And if it was, could those female blues possibly even be Reverdin's,
P. argyrognomon?? Is it possible that is crown vetch the first one is sitting on?
The tiniest hint of a glimpse of the underside of any of them would settle the score, I think!! Tantalising!
Guy
Blues in Sweden
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:40 am
by Paulcrook
Thanks for the replies. I only have an underside picture of one of the blues, picture 4. Pictures 4 and 5 were taken in close proximity to each other so I wonder if they are the same species. Not neccesarily the case but quite possible.
Paul
Blues in Sweden
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:43 am
by Paulcrook
Forgot to add the picture -sorry.
Paul
![Image](http://upload3.postimage.org/30137/P6299177b.jpg)
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:32 am
by Padfield
Aha!! That is icarus, as JKT first said, so in the absence of any further clues I think the females should be called icarus too.
Guy