Small or Holly blue, ID needed please

[Dreamer]

here is a good comparison

Google Image Result for http://piccies.flybywire.org.uk/ButterfliesMoths/2006/20060606/SmallBlue6.jpg

holly blue from me

[welsh.lensman]

My first Holly blue thanks.

And thank you everyone for your contributions to this thread, and a special thank you Dreamer for that fantastic link, I've added it to my favourates.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

Hi,Is it not a slightly odd place to find holly blue's . in grass ?. When you say they were in the grass,how many did you see may i ask? Maybe there were other blues in the grass and a stray holly blue (your pic if it is holly blue). Just by habitat,i would not expect to find many holly blues in grass ,they prefer to be higher up in shrubs and as far as im aware do not form colonies in grass.i think they are more wanderers like the whites but im happy to be corrected

It was seen in a woodland glade which sounds like Holly Blue habitat to me. They often come to the ground to take up salts,etc + found on damp mud, droppings, etc.

[GuyF]

Well I still think it's a Small Blue
Here are a couple of shots from the Gallery to try and illustrate the points I made earlier. First one of your Small Blue shots, note the pale rings to the spots and the fairly small dots on the forewing underside.

And here's a Holly Blue from Jon which lacks obvious pale rings to the spots and shows the dashes on the underside of the forewing.

Also Holly Blues tend to have a fairly uniform metallic bluey silver underside, whereas in Small Blues there is more of a contrast between the metallic blue at the base of the wings and the greyish colour on the rest of the underside, although this feature can depend a lot on the condition of the butterfly!
Guy

[asheleaf]

Originally Posted by GuyF

Well I still think it's a Small Blue
Here are a couple of shots from the Gallery to try and illustrate the points I made earlier. First one of your Small Blue shots, note the pale rings to the spots and the fairly small dots on the forewing underside.

And here's a Holly Blue from Jon which lacks obvious pale rings to the spots and shows the dashes on the underside of the forewing.

Also Holly Blues tend to have a fairly uniform metallic bluey silver underside, whereas in Small Blues there is more of a contrast between the metallic blue at the base of the wings and the greyish colour on the rest of the underside, although this feature can depend a lot on the condition of the butterfly!
Guy

i'll second that

Ashe

[welsh.lensman]

Maybe I haven't seen my first Holly blue after all.
Perhaps I should take more notice of my own Gallery, as Guy has picked out my own image of a Small blue as an example, and not only that but the image was taken at the same location (Pembrey) back in May.