#common blue

@flurbejurbvondurp submitted: Saw a common blue today, I think! (I live in Belgium) Never seen a butterfly like it before, so I was immediately enchanted! Thought you and other bug fans might like it. 🦋

Very pretty! I have to share a photo of the other side because they're so lovely:

Wow :)

A Study in Blue and Green

Feeding Blue

Common Blue

Zohre Janati

Common Blue - Polyommatus icarus

The new species for the year just keep on coming, and I'm quite grateful for the opportunity to photograph them. Not only that, but some of my closest friends where just as lucky to find this specie in their backyard garden too! Admittedly, they were somewhat disappointed to learn that this eager pollinator has made itself relatively common and apparent in Southern Ontario around this time of year. Nevertheless, if only one individual is found, rarity is definitely a consideration, especially with such pronounced colors and patterns upon its wings, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Although typically referred to as "Common", within its common name, it also has another name related to its origins. Specifically, this Butterfly is also known as the European Blue (or European Common Blue), a name which highlights a small part of its original native range. Although it can also be found in parts of Africa and Asia, it seems to have a favorable reputation in Europe (including the UK), and it seems to have been introduced into a small portion of Canada's provinces during the 2000's. Fortunately, its presence is not considered invasive. It also seems limited (emphasis on seems) depending on its proximity to suitable host plants.

While small in presence, this particular find is definitely one of the prettier insects that can be found fluttering about this summer. The patterns adorning the interior of the wings are immediately striking and eye-catching thanks to the scattered array of spots, red bordering scales, and the edge of white hairs on what is otherwise a canvas of brown-grey scales and wing veins. These markings are a big help in terms of identification, and while other members of the Polyommatus genus may resemble it superficially, only the Common Blue has established itself in North America; the rest remain on the Earth's other continents. The central spot within the wing's spots should also be observed. This is all well and good, and this specie is clearly well decorated, but if this is a "Blue Butterfly", where exactly is the blue? While one could at first point to the etchings near the base of the wings (very prominent in Picture 9), there are even more blue scales to discover on dorsal sides of both the forewing and hindwing pairs. When it comes to saturation, the male Common Blues tend to shine with more blue; female wings are more likely to be a more brown color topside, but even they can shine with blue towards the base of the wing. It's a touch premature to say, but the individuals seen in today's showcase are likely to be males.