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Butterflies Page 14

Image Taken on 06 Aug 2022 at 16:26    Image of day on 20 Sep 2022

This single female 'haunted' the side of the garage for 3 days. Here she catches the shadow of an adjacent unopened head of blackberry flowers to make an interesting pattern.


Ref: 20220920_d72_20220806_1626_089 holly blue butterfly female 2nd brood on blackberry flower with shadow of buds on wing(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Jun 2016 at 11:08    Image of day on 30 Jul 2016

We have come to think of our Oxeye Daisies as having limited value as a food source, so were pleasantly surprised to see that Holly Blue Butterfly actively feeding on a flower head.


Ref: 20160730_df3_20160615_1108_018 holly blue butterfly female feeding of oxeye daisy (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019 at 16:06    Image of day on 21 Oct 2019

The female Holly Blue Butterfly is a small insect. The bottom of the wings is a soft blue with characteristic pattern of dots, while the top of the wings is a much darker blue, the female (here) also having the dark edge.


Ref: 20191021_da1_20190825_1606_168+1607_180_ft1 holly blue butterfly female in 2 flights (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019 at 16:10    Image of day on 21 Oct 2019

The female Holly Blue Butterfly is a small insect. The bottom of the wings is a soft blue with characteristic pattern of dots, while the top of the wings is a much darker blue, the female (here) also having the dark edge.


Ref: 20191021_da1_20190825_1610_201+1608_189_ft1 holly blue butterfly female in 2 flights (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019 at 16:06    Image of day on 21 Oct 2019

The female Holly Blue Butterfly is a small insect, as you can see relative to this smaller than average Oxeye Daisy. The bottom of the wings is a soft blue with characteristic pattern of dots, while the top of the wings is a much darker blue, the female (here) also having the dark edge.


Ref: 20191021_da1_20190825_1606_168+1128_031_ft1 holly blue butterfly female in flight + oxeye daisy flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 01 May 2011 at 15:08    Image of day on 31 May 2011




Ref: 20110531_da1_20110501_1508_154+1517_166_ft1 holly blue butterfly female in flight with red campion flower (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 01 May 2011 at 15:04    Image of day on 31 May 2011

A 3 weeks ago we brought you the male Holly Blue butterfly. Here is the subtly different female with different top of the wing but similar underwing


Ref: 20110531_da1_20110501_1504_127+1517_167_ft1 holly blue butterfly female in flight with red campion flowers (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 15 Jun 2016 at 11:09    Image of day on 30 Jul 2016

The Holly Blue Butterfly flew up into the adjacent Oak tree to sun itself, surprisingly well camouflaged - we saw it land and still had trouble finding it.


Ref: 20160730_df3_20160615_1109_022 holly blue butterfly female in oak leaves(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 06 Jul 2020 at 10:48    Image of day on 09 Aug 2020

This second brood female Holly Blue Butterfly was flitting about the hedge along the West side of the access track.


Ref: 20200809_d73_20200706_1048_007+1049_015 holly blue butterfly female second brood (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 13 Aug 2016 at 12:55    Image of day on 02 Oct 2016

Only the female Holly Blue Butterfly has this dark edge on the top of the wings - the male has barely a trace.


Ref: 20161002_df3_20160813_1255_006 holly blue butterfly female showing top of wings (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Apr 2019 at 15:01    Image of day on 22 May 2019

This Holly Blue Butterfly shows the top of the wings on the left, and the bottoms and on the right. As usual we then sent him on his way across the fields.


Ref: 20190522_da1_20190422_1501_165+1458_145+20190421_1545_299_ft1 holly blue butterfly in 2 flights + green alkanet (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Apr 2019 at 14:59    Image of day on 22 May 2019

Blue Butterflies are not well represented here, so we were pleased that an hour's effort 'bagged' this male Holly Blue Butterfly which obliged with a few flights.


Ref: 20190522_da1_20190422_1459_151+20190421_1310_145_ft1 holly blue butterfly in flight with forget-me-not flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Mar 2019 at 15:30    Image of day on 22 Apr 2019

An apparently very early sighting of a Holly Blue Butterfly in late March.


Ref: 20190422_df3_20190325_1530_077 holly blue butterfly male (1st of 2019) (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Mar 2019 at 15:33    Image of day on 22 Apr 2019

The Holly Blue Butterfly seemed reluctant to open his wings so we could be sure of the sex, but finally HE did.


Ref: 20190422_df3_20190325_1533_104 holly blue butterfly male (1st of 2019) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 03 May 2023 at 13:08    Image of day on 09 Jun 2023

Seen transiently 2 days before, at last we get a photo of a male Holly Blue Butterfly. The 'top' of the wing of the male is this light blue - the females look similar on the multi-dotted underwing, but has a much darker top wing. We haven't photographed a female yet this year


Ref: 20230609_df3_20230503_1308_088 holly blue butterfly male (1st seen 01may2023)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 24 Apr 2022 at 12:22    Image of day on 30 May 2022

We first saw a Holly Blue butterfly 6 days before this pic.
You can see both sides of the wing with similar colour but different markings.


Ref: 20220530_d72_20220424_1222_073 holly blue butterfly male (first seen 18apr2022 - visual id only) 3 of 3(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 12 Aug 2021 at 10:44    Image of day on 13 Sep 2021

A sighting of a male Holly Blue butterfly which has the top of the wings a blue rather than darker and black edged female.


Ref: 20210913_d73_20210812_1044_010 holly blue butterfly male (shows both sides of wing)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 09 Aug 2023 at 12:47    Image of day on 29 Sep 2023

Here is the same individual showing that the wing shape and even colour don't do a bad job of camouflage when perched. In flight their path is so erratic it will evade a lot of predators - it certainly evades this cameraman - though probably not the agile Dragonflies.


Ref: 20230929_df3_20230809_1247_044 holly blue butterfly male 2nd brood disguised on leaf(r+mb id@432).jpg


Image Taken on 09 Aug 2023 at 12:45    Image of day on 29 Sep 2023

The second brood of Holly Blue Butterflies are out and about.
This is a male nicely lit on an Ivy plant.


Ref: 20230929_df3_20230809_1245_037 holly blue butterfly male 2nd brood on ivy leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 04 May 2023 at 13:20    Image of day on 18 Jun 2023

2 minutes later this male Holly Blue butterfly shows us a better view of the top of his wings.


Ref: 20230618_d72_20230504_1320_055 holly blue butterfly male feeding on green alkanet(r+mb id@768).jpg


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