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Last week my holiday took me to one of my favourite places, Ballard Down in Dorset. Our campsite was directly across the road from the lay-by at the entrance, so I was able to visit for an hour or two at the end of each day when the butterflies were basking or starting to roost. There were many hundreds of second-brood Adonis Blues to be found, mainly concentrated in one small area at SZ023811 which is directly opposite the entrance path. Females outnumbered the males and were still emerging, with several mating pairs to be found. With so many individuals available I concentrated on anything that looked fresh, but particularly on females with unusual markings or colouration. From past experience I have found this local population to throw up a good variety of blue females. Over 5 days I encountered 12, including one extremely unusual variant.

The following series of photos of female uppersides (graded by colour) has been put together showing the complete range of markings found during the week. At the end I have addded the two extreme aberrations found in exactly the same location in May 2008. Then a few typical undersides, all of which will be added to the species album shortly. Just a few normal undersides: All to be added to the species album shortly.

Vince

Vince Massimo wrote:

IMG_6032-01G.jpg

Nice one Vince - this is a mixed (or mosaic) gynandromorph, known sometimes as an 'intersex'.

Felix.

Superb photos and very interesting.

Females outnumbered the males and were still emerging, with several mating pairs to be found.

This is what I noticed when doing my transect at Malling Down on Sunday. There were 36 females and 29 males, lots of fresh females and mating going on.

From past experience I have found this local population to throw up a good variety of blue females.

Any idea why the local population throw up a good variety of blue females? Is it a small isolated population, a large one or is it to do with some aberrant gene?

Crispin

Hi Vince,

Uppersides, from the top, probably:

typical
typical
typical
caeruleo-cuneata
typical
venilia
caeruleo-cuneata
caeruleo-cuneata
cuneo-lunulata
cuneo-lunulata
caeruleo-cuneata
caerulescens
caerulescens-lunulata
caerulescens-lunulata
caerulescens-lunulata
semiceronus
Dunno. very interesting indeed...
Mixed Gynandromorph

Felix.

Felix, thanks for your original comments. You confirmed what I suspected. I have been doing some reading on the subject to try to understand how the process works. I understand that Pete and yourself are working on an article on this subject, which I am looking forward to reading.
(Edit) I now see that you have been busy with your books, trying to name all of the examples. Thanks for your efforts, it will help me when I post them on the species album.

Crispin, I do not know the reason for the high number of blue-coloured females on this site. All I can say is that there is a very large population here and it is concentrated in this particular area where there are many nectar plants. In the summer the hillside is almost completly yellow with Horseshoe Vetch and a larger area is covered in high-density butterflies. I have some video footage which I took in May 2008 which I have finally managed to edit and put on disc. Pete is soon going to post this on the site for me and I will announce its' availability next week. I only need the faintest of excuses to post some of the photos again, so here is one showing males taking minerals or moisture from damp ground. There were around 100 within just a few square metres but only 66 in the photo (sorry).
In my earlier post I said I had seen 12 blue female Adonis last week, but it was actually nearer to 20 because I now remember that I did not chase the tatty ones I found.

Vince

Hi Vince,

I 'keyed these out' using my home made key.

The aberrations themselves are sound, mainly described and named a century ago, but the descriptions are scattered across entomological literature, periodicals etc. so constructing a key is a time saver. The key is very much in the development stage..!

Basically it keys various features (for your abs anyway):

Orange lunules:
None
Hind wings only
Hind wings and faintly on forewings
Well developed on all four wings

Extent of blue scaling:
Hindwings only
Hindwings and forewings to discoidal spot
Hindwings and forewings beyond discoidal
Hindwings and forewings out to (but not including) costa and outer margins
Hindwings and forewings right out to and including costa and outer margins
Internal powder blue chevrons inwards of orange lunules

These characteristics can me mixed and matched, but you do end up with a very finite series of repeating features in what first may appear to be endless variety.

And subsequently, when you establish these repeating themes, you can start to think 'why' (as Crispin has done). So for example, the blue scaling could (emphasis on could) be environmentally triggered, where as the lunules are genetically driven, as are the pale blue chevrons. From these questions a life time of breeding experimentation to prove/disprove theories is born...

Felix.

Hi Felix,

Can you help me by putting a name to this ab. please.
I will now be away for a few days, so thanks in advance.

Vince

Hi Vince,

Caerulescens-lunulata, but not as well developed as your other specimens.

Felix.

Can any one put a name to this variation seen today at Denbies Hillside in Surrey?
(also posted on the September sightings thread)
It seems to have very little orange spotting in comparison with the wonderful series above. These photos are all of the same butterfly.

Dave

Bump. Goodness this is interesting. Now I need to stat looking at the upper side of their wings.

Quite interesting, nice images ...we have no Adonis blue here but are common blue prone to much variation? Have a good population not far from my house at a NT nature reserve, so may pay them a visit next sunny day (if there is one anytime soon)