# Blue butterfly



## viperd (May 11, 2009)

I took this sunday on the side of mam tor


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## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

very nice


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## vawn (Jul 1, 2008)

very nice in deed
a relativle rare butterfly, there's plenty of good people on butterfly forums that could do with sightings like this being recorded :2thumb:


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## Woodsman (Aug 12, 2008)

It's a rather worn second brood Common Blue.
Last year was exceptionally good for this species (at least in wales)this year not as good,although still relatively common.


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2010)

Very nice  how in the hell did you get this pic :lol2: I see a few every year but I can't get within 6ft of one :bash:


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## viperd (May 11, 2009)

we were clambering down the side of the Mountain and I spotted it so i crept up and took some snaps would have taken more, but heard ginnerone say to one of the kids what an earth is your mam doing lol. It was just nestled on top of the thistle waiting to pose for the camera, Cheers for the comments !!!


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Is this the same species?










If so, there were literally hundreds of them out and about on the Isle Of Wight yesterday.


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## Woodsman (Aug 12, 2008)

ipreferaflan said:


> Is this the same species?
> 
> image
> 
> If so, there were literally hundreds of them out and about on the Isle Of Wight yesterday.


The easiest way to identify the blue butterflies is from the spots (or lack of them) on the underwings.Obviously the butterfly has to be at rest for this.
The wide black wing margin on yours suggests a second brood Holly Blue.However,this species is usually seen singly or in small groups.Are you sure they were all the same species? there are lots of second brood Common Blues around at the moment which are more likely to be seen en masse.
Interestingly the Holly Blue has two broods the spring larvae feed on holly whilst the second use ivy.


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Woodsman said:


> The easiest way to identify the blue butterflies is from the spots (or lack of them) on the hindwings.Obviously the butterfly has to be at rest for this.
> The wide black wing margin on yours suggests a second brood Holly Blue.However,this species is usually seen singly or in small groups.Are you sure they were all the same species? there are lots of second brood Common Blues around at the moment which are more likely to be seen en masse.
> Interestingly the Holly Blue has two broods the spring larvae feed on holly whilst the second use ivy.


They weren't all together! They were in small groups or alone but there were hundreds of them out and about over quite a large expanse of land.
Perhaps they weren't all the same species, although they were certainly all that pale blue.


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## Woodsman (Aug 12, 2008)

ipreferaflan said:


> They weren't all together! They were in small groups or alone but there were hundreds of them out and about over quite a large expanse of land.
> Perhaps they weren't all the same species, although they were certainly all that pale blue.


 Probably were Holly Blue then.I wouldn't expect to see that many in my area (wet and windy wales) IOW is a much better butterfly area.


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Woodsman said:


> Probably were Holly Blue then.I wouldn't expect to see that many in my area (wet and windy wales) IOW is a much better butterfly area.


Oh yeah we do get loads. My poor mum though. She's terrified of them haha


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