This 'Blue' has me puzzled

[PeterD]

Seen on Portsdown hill today



Any clues please?

[Adam Cheeseman]

Female Holly?

Cheers,

Adam

[cyberinsekt]

Surely some variant of the Chalkhill Blue, given the colour of the blue.

[Susie]

Soon as I saw it I thought "chalkhill" too.

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Female Holly?

Cheers,

Adam

Thanks Adam. I was erring on the side of the Holly but for the fact that the blue is far too pale. Similar to chalk hill or common blue.

Originally Posted by cyberinsekt

Surely some variant of the Chalkhill Blue, given the colour of the blue.

Interesting suggestion but the white border is broken similar to the Adonis.

Peter

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by Susie

Soon as I saw it I thought "chalkhill" too.

Your reply has caused me to look again at the Chalkhill blue and it certainly does look like the male albeit with much more extensive darkening on the wings. It too has broken white edging so it seems to fit in most of the features.

[petereeles]

This is a male Chalkhill Blue.

What's more - it's been "out" for a while, which is why quite a few of the scales have been lost result in the dark banding that you see in the photo.

Cheers,

- Pete

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by petereeles

This is a male Chalkhill Blue.

What's more - it's been "out" for a while, which is why quite a few of the scales have been lost result in the dark banding that you see in the photo.

Cheers,

- Pete
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks Peter. I thought it was following the other replies and thanks for the explanation for the 'dark' banding.