www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Back on the 1/9/18, i came across a pair of mating Adonis Blues. I had found a couple of pairs in cop. and i took various images of both of these on the day. Ive only just recently started to look through many of my images that ive shot through the season, and it would appear that this male Adonis has quite a number/section of yellow hairs on his lower body. This is not something i have noticed before, and at the time, i just didnt see this.
I have over 10 photos of this mating pair, and each image shows these lower body hairs as yellow...so its not "a trick of the light".
All Images show the same yellow hairs, from both sides of the butterfly.
Since i didnt notice this at the time, i didnt wait around for the male to open his wings...because he may well have appeared different than the norm?

Has anyone else seen these yellow hairs on the Adonis Blue?
Maybe this is a common occurrence, and just goes unnoticed for most of the time?
Or maybe this occurs on other species too?

Look forward to some answers/other peoples photos, showing these yellow hairs.
Cheers Paul.

Large crop on this pic, to show what im referring to.

Yes, I see what you mean, Paul. Can't say I've ever noticed it myself, but it's certainly visible in your image.

Could it simply be pollen? A higher resolution crop of the hairs might help give us some more clues

Hi Paul,

On 21 September at Norton Green I found a mating pair of Common Blues of which the thorax and upper abdomen of the female (on the left) are yellow. I suspect the yellow markings are from pollen (as Bugboy suggested) or at least flower petals (e.g. Ragwort).

ATB
Peter

bugboy wrote:Could it simply be pollen? A higher resolution crop of the hairs might help give us some more clues

Yes, sorry about that...I always upload small files as a habit

Here is the original cropped file.

Pollen seems the logical explanation.
Cheers Paul.

peterc wrote:Hi Paul,

On 21 September at Norton Green I found a mating pair of Common Blues of which the thorax and upper abdomen of the female (on the left) are yellow. I suspect the yellow markings are from pollen (as Bugboy suggested) or at least flower petals (e.g. Ragwort).

ATB
Peter

Thanks for showing another butterfly pic, which is clearly displaying, what looks like these same yellow hairs too
Could it be that both these butterflies recently nectared on yellow flowers, then before the pollen had a chance to wear off naturally, both butterflies quickly entered into cop./mating??

I think its case closed here...i agree with whats been suggested...These yellow hairs are more than likely a result of pollen.
Although, im not 100% sure just yet but im 99% sure

Difficult to see(with both your pic and mine) but the butterflies legs should also have pollen on them too? i have close up/macro pics of Bees covered in pollen!
Having said that, the pollen would wear off the butterflies legs 1st anyway.
Cheers Paul.