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Hello there,

I was on holiday at Crantock in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago and saw this. I believe it is a Small Blue due to its size but thought it was perhaps a little late in the season. Mind you it is a bit worn looking so could have been around a while.
Can anyone confirm the ID for me please?

Many Thanks,

Neil.

Hi Neil - this is the wrong colour for Small Blue, which is really quite dark on its upperside - almost black in fact.

I'm pretty sure this is a very worn Common Blue.

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Neil,

A worn male Common Blue - Small Blue is much darker (grey/brown/black/blue). Small Blue is not known from Cornwall, which is strange considering the abundance of its foodplant on the coast there.

I wouldn't rule out silver-studded blue from that picture.

Guy

Thanks for the replies.
It doesn't really show in the picture but it was much smaller than all the Common Blues that I have seen before which was what made me unsure.
Thinking about it, the very worn appearance probably made it look smaller.

Neil.

I'd tentatively go for male Silver Studded Blue from the wing shape and posture.

Felix.

I only saw silver-stud when I looked at the picture, I must admit. The things that clinched it for me were:

As Felix says, wing shape and posture.
The extent and pattern of dark shadow on the hindwing (towards the costa) - classic silver-stud.
The breadth of the dark margins, which though worn are clearly visible.
The vestigial evidence of dark spotting on the hindwing margin.
The lack of a conspicuous pale 'shoulder' on the forewing.
The size.

The habitat (as indicated by the bracken) supports silver-stud, but of course does not rule out common.

If silver-studded blue is possible in terms of distribution, I would wager small quantities of beer on it being that. But it would be pints, not barrels.

Guy

padfield wrote:If silver-studded blue is possible in terms of distribution

Very much so, and the more I look at the image the less I see Common Blue at all.

I'll stick my neck out and say that it is certainly an SSB.

Felix.

Unlike Small and Silver Studded Blues, Common Blues are far less habitat specific.... one of the many reasons I adore the Common Blue ~ it's liable to turn up almost anywhere ... even my back garden. Are the two less "common" blues recorded in that area of Cornwall? Habitat can be a very reliable guide to identifying very worn and thus otherwise confusing individual specimens.
..

I have done a bit more checking and apparently Penhale Dunes are a known site for Silver Studded Blues. Crantock Bay where this photo was taken is just a few miles along the coast.
I have never seen a SSB before and did not appreciate how small they actually are, certainly seem to be much closer to Small Blue than Common Blue in size.

Thanks for all the replies, I am now convinced that this was actually a Silver Studded Blue.

Neil.

Agreed - SSB.

I won't be so lazy next time

Cheers,

- Pete