Blue butterfly, help! can't identify

otter · #1 (**permalink**) 18-06-2006, 08:29 PM

Hi, can anyone tell me what species of butterfly this is? it came in the window today and i've looked through books and on the internet and i've got no idea what it is. It seems to most resemble a small blue but it has more spots on the underside of the wing than the small blue has. The upperside of it's wings were not a bright blue, just a dusting on a brown background and there are no orange markings/white edges to the wings on the butterfly like some of the other blue butterflies. I live on the norfolk/suffolk border on the coast and there are meadows nearby. Any ideas greatly appreciated!

Gill Catton · #2 (**permalink**) 18-06-2006, 08:36 PM

Hello! and welcome to the forum. I'm not an expert on many butterflies at all (and I've not got my books with me ) but will say that a small blue is really tiny - much smaller than I was expecting when I first saw one it's not much bigger than a tiny moth. Your butterfly looks pretty worn so ID may be difficult - but someone more experianced than me will be along soon I'm sure!!!

otter · #3 (**permalink**) 18-06-2006, 08:45 PM

Hello Jill! thankyou for the welcome!

I think you're probably right that it's not a small blue as it was definately not as small as a little moth! more like the size of a common blue, maybe slightly smaller but i'm sure it's not one of those as it doesn't have any orange on it and it was not as bright a blue colouring.

John2 · #4 (**permalink**) 18-06-2006, 09:58 PM

Hello Otter,i reckon you've got a female Adonis Blue,that's just really scruffy & lost a lot of its colour.
If i'm wrong,hopefully someone else will let you know what it is.But that's my best guess.
John

carlj · #5 (**permalink**) 18-06-2006, 10:34 PM

Female common blue? Very little blue on the wings plenty on body, but usually browner uppers, with occasional orange dots.

kshutchby · #6 (**permalink**) 05-07-2006, 10:14 AM

I'm pretty sure you had a common blue - albeit a very worn one. Most, if not all, of the orange spots have worn away but the layout of the darker underwing spots matches perfectly with common blue - and doesn't appear to match any other blue. I found an almost identical butterfly yesterday and thought I'd bagged a blue species that I hadn't seen before - I'm convinced it was a common blue. Atttempts to find pictures of blues on the web led me to this page, so I felt duty-bound to register and post a reply.

glsammy · #7 (**permalink**) 05-07-2006, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kshutchby

I'm pretty sure you had a common blue - albeit a very worn one. Most, if not all, of the orange spots have worn away but the layout of the darker underwing spots matches perfectly with common blue - and doesn't appear to match any other blue. I found an almost identical butterfly yesterday and thought I'd bagged a blue species that I hadn't seen before - I'm convinced it was a common blue. Atttempts to find pictures of blues on the web led me to this page, so I felt duty-bound to register and post a reply.

Welcome to WAB kshutchby, and I think your right. I took an almost identical picture of a common blue the other day, very worn out and tatty.

aeshna · #8 (**permalink**) 05-07-2006, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by otter

Hi, can anyone tell me what species of butterfly this is?
I live on the norfolk/suffolk border on the coast and there are meadows nearby. Any ideas greatly appreciated!

Hi Otter,

looking at this I would agree with the majority and say male Common Blue. The orange has faded away and if you look closely there are gaps between markings where it should be. I don't think you have Adonis in that part of the world and is not 'spotty' enough for Silver-studded Blue.

otter · #9 (**permalink**) 08-07-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kshutchby

I'm pretty sure you had a common blue - albeit a very worn one. Most, if not all, of the orange spots have worn away but the layout of the darker underwing spots matches perfectly with common blue - and doesn't appear to match any other blue. I found an almost identical butterfly yesterday and thought I'd bagged a blue species that I hadn't seen before - I'm convinced it was a common blue. Atttempts to find pictures of blues on the web led me to this page, so I felt duty-bound to register and post a reply.

Yes, I think you're right kshutchby that it is a common blue with the orange worn off, lol

it really did have me fooled though but looking at pics of the common blue like you said the pattern does match up.