Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Is this a male adonis blue or common blue? I plump for adonis as it's on horseshoe vetch!
Alexandra
Alexandra
- Neil Hulme
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Hi Alexandra,
That's a Common Blue.
Neil
That's a Common Blue.
Neil
Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Thanks neil. What's the difference between the two?
- Neil Hulme
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Hi Alexandra,
Adonis Blue
Common Blue
Look closely at the wing margins. The Adonis Blue has black markings which cross the white borders and continue into the blue part of the wing. To the more experienced eye the colour is a giveaway, but rather subjective (and variable). The AB is more of an 'electric turquoise blue' - I would describe the CB as a 'lilac blue'.
Neil
Adonis Blue
Common Blue
Look closely at the wing margins. The Adonis Blue has black markings which cross the white borders and continue into the blue part of the wing. To the more experienced eye the colour is a giveaway, but rather subjective (and variable). The AB is more of an 'electric turquoise blue' - I would describe the CB as a 'lilac blue'.
Neil
- Pete Eeles
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Completely agree (unsurprisingly!). The "chequered fringes" of the original photo are actually caused by the loss of scales in very specific areas that could cause confusion.
Cheers,
- Pete
Cheers,
- Pete
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
You can occasionally find a Common Blue like this, where the black lines on the veins are very strong and extend into the fringes - but still not to the edge. However, in this case the location completely ruled out Adonis (Totternhoe, Bedfordshire).
The bright chalk background has reflected light up through the wings, distorting the colour, but it still shows the violet tinge Neil refers to.
Dave
The bright chalk background has reflected light up through the wings, distorting the colour, but it still shows the violet tinge Neil refers to.
Dave
Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Thanks guys, that was a big help!
Alex
Alex
- Padfield
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Just a final point: the fringe of the common blue is always divided into an outer and inner half. The inner half is usually a darker shade, giving the fringe a two-tone appearance, and may be chequered, as in Millerd's shot. The outer half is never chequered. In Adonis blue there is no two-tone effect (the fringe is pure white) and the darker/broader chequering is on the outer half of the fringe.
Even very damaged or washed-out individuals are identifiable if a small piece of fringe is visible.
Guy
Even very damaged or washed-out individuals are identifiable if a small piece of fringe is visible.
Guy
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Same question...Common Blue or Adonis Blue? Photographed today (19 August) at Lankham Bottom, Dorset....
Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
I'd say Adonis for all of these. The chequering is just about visible, and the colour tends to the turquoise.
Any other offers?
Dave
Any other offers?
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Dave
- Neil Hulme
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
Agreed.
Neil
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Neil
- Lee Hurrell
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Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
I'm not saying anything
(but I would have said Adonis)
Cheers
Lee
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
(but I would have said Adonis)
Cheers
Lee
To butterfly meadows, chalk downlands and leafy glades; to summers eternal.
Re: Male Adonis Blue or Common Blue?
I've only just noticed all three shots are of the same butterfly... Good thing I didn't say one was different
Dave
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Dave