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Hi,
Can anyone help with this blue?
It appeared to be slightly larger than the Silver Studded Blues flying with it. I was wondering about hespericus, but the upper side has a wider black margin than in the book.

If I have managed to crack photobucket on my phone then there will be some fritillaries to follow!

Here are a couple of pictures of another one I saw later in the day at a different location.

Hi NIck. I've tried to post a couple of times, with long, reasoned arguments, and keep losing the replies in cyberspace for some reason. So in brief, I think these are all argus. I would never claim 100% certainty with such a fractured and variable genus as Plebejus, but none of my books suggest hespericus can have those broad forewing borders and it is a matter of common experience that argus can lack any silver scales in the hindwing black spots. Male argus can be quite big (in blues, as you know, males are often bigger than females).

I've had similar difficulties in the Spanish Pyrenees with butterflies I desperately wanted to string into some member of the pylaon complex but my friends always assured me I was imagining things!

Guy

Nick

It could possibly be the ssp.nevadensis of the Idas Blue. In the Sierra Nevada the male upper sides of Idas and Silver-studded are barely distinguishable. However, the undersides are the key; the Silver-studded being "chalky white" to quote Tolman, while Idas has greyish undersides. Unfortunately your photos do not show the undersides clearly enough for a certain identification.

M.

Thank you Guy and Mikhail. It was the forewing markings being different from the other Silver-studded/Idas Blues that had me wondering. Your diagnosis is confirmed by this picture I came across yesterday, of an individual with similar markings, but showing blue scales:


It is amazing how variable butterflies can be! I am pretty sure these two butterflies are both Escher's Blues, although one is more heavily marked and smaller than the other.


Sorry, didn't realise that the picture would be cropped by Photobucket!

Nick has

managed to crack photobucket

Good resource. I have been using for some years. Many advantages on ukb, not the elast being that you see the image at full size and not a thumbnail taht needs clicking.

Smashing pictures there Nick. I especially like the shots which show the butterflies in its surroundings.
Mine you, this close up portrait

is really splendid.

Jack

Thank you Jack. I suppose I should admit that it is my ability to work a smartphone that is the real weak link here! I miss having my laptop and being able to open two pictures at once or to have two reduced web pages open at once. Still, it is great being able to download the pictures from my camera and put them on Photobucket, rather than having to wait until I get home!!
I spent a day in Sierra Nevada last week, which was like being in paradise! Now I am trying to go through my 700 pictures and reduce them down to a sensible number! (Oh yes, and figure out what species they are!)

Nick says that it is his

ability to work a smartphone that is the real weak link here! I

Even so, that is better than my ability with a smartphone. I lack the courage even to buy one! I just couldn't cope with the tiny screen and complexity of the device. I have no grandchildren but my six-year old great niece has no problems - quite typical of her generation. I have reached the age where new technology challenges. I watched a very aged lady (made me feel like a youngster by comparison) in supermarket checkout struggling with her chip and pin: I sympathised.

Jack

Jack,
I have been paying for my two kids' smartphones for the last four years while I struggled with my £9.99 phone! Changing circumstances this year and I changed to a smartphone last month. It has so many advantages, but my kids laugh at me for using one index finger instead of two thumbs!!!

OK, the first of the promised fritillaries. I have been pulling my hair out over this one. I am erring towards Melitaea phoebe, but then I can't completely rule out deione!

The engorged submarginal lunule in s3 of the forewing says phoebe. This can be slightly larger than the adjacent lunules in deione but never to this extent.

Guy

Whatever (as Blair said to Bush) it's a damn good photo. Lumix FZ200 ?

Jack

Thanks Jack,
An FZ150. Fantastic camera. And a beautiful butterfly. All I do is point it in the right direction and press the button! Then I can spend the rest of the time enjoying watching the butterflies!

Now the next one - aglaja or niobe?

Padfield wrote:The engorged submarginal lunule in s3 of the forewing says phoebe. This can be slightly larger than the adjacent lunules in deione but never to this extent.

Guy

Guy. I had't notced your response there. That was the feature that was swaying me, although it looked more obvious in the book than my picture. Thank you for your help.

I think I have answered my own question. A later picture of a different individual shows the underside confirming aglaja.