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Polyommatus icarus-mating


Polyommatus icarus-mating
Photo Information
Copyright: Milos Koudelka (mikou) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 869 W: 68 N: 1479] (6093)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2011-05
Categories: Insects
Camera: Pentax K200D, Pentax SMC FA 100 F2.8 MACRO
Exposure: f/16, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2011-05-29 10:50
Viewed: 3217
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello.
Like most other shots on insects, and this I took a large meadow near my house.
This pair was easy to photograph. They were long in one place.
Thank you all for your visit and criticism - This is useful for me. Points (smiling) are not important for me :-)
Best greetings.

-------------------------------------------------------

Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Polyommatus
Species: icarus

Wingspan: 26-39mm

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
Czech name: Modrásek jehlicový

Male uppersides are an iridescent lilac blue with a thin black border. Females are brown with a row of red spots along the edges. They usually have some blue at the base of the wings and, especially in Ireland and Scotland, are mostly blue but always have the red spots. Undersides have a greyish ground colour in the males and more brownish in the females. Both sexes have a row of red spots along the edge of the hindwings (extending onto the forewings though generally fainter, particularly in the males where they are sometimes missing altogether). There are about a dozen black centered white spots on the hind wings, nine on the forwings. The white fringe on the outer edge of the wings is not crossed with black lines as it is in the Chalkhill and Adonis Blues, an important difference when separating these species, particularly the females.
It is Britain's (and probably Europe's) most common and most widespread blue, found as far north as Orkney and on most of the Outer Hebrides. Males are often very obvious as they defend territories against rivals and search out the more reclusive females. A range of grassland habitats are used: meadows, coastal dunes, woodland clearings and also many man made habitats, anywhere where their food plants are found.
It is widespread in Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia.
The main food plant on most sites is Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). Others used include Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Common Restharrow Ononis repens, White Clover Trifolium repens and Lesser Trefoil Trifolium dubium. Eggs are laid singly on young shoots of their food plants.
The caterpillar is small, pale green with yellow stripes and as usual with lycid larvae rather slug-like. Hibernation occurs as a half grown larvae. They are attractive to ants but not as much as some other species of blues. The chrysalis is olive green/brown and formed on the ground where it is attended by ants which will often take it into their nests. The larvae creates a substance called honey dew, which the ants eat while the butterfly lives in the ant hill. In the south of Britain there are two broods a year flying in May and June and again in August and September. Northern England has one brood flying between June and September. In a long warm year there is sometimes a partial third brood in the south flying into October.
(source: www.wikipedia.com)

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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2011-05-29 10:54]

Hello Milos.
A beautiful pair of Common Blues posing so nicely on the pretty flowers. I love the way they are facing away from each other. Wonderful colors and sharp details. Excellent background and composition.
Best regards Siggi

Hi Milos,
really nice portrait of these butterflies. Amazing colours. Excellent point of view.
Thanks for sharing,
Maciek

Hello Milos,
A beautiful image of these butterfly, impressive sharp throughout, very good composition and superb depth of field, very well captured and nicely done,
Thanks for sharing,
Best Regards,
Bungbing.

Hello Milos,
beautifull capture, sharp details, nice light and colours, excellent BG,
Thanks for sharing, have a nice evening,
Nikos.

Hi Milos,
Impressive capture Milos!
The composition, the Bg, the pose of butterflyes and the colours are simply fantastic.
Excellent sharpness.
Thanks for sharing
Manuel

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2011-05-29 13:05]

Hi Mikos,magnificent composition and the top of quality for this couple mating.Fantastic sharpness,brilliant colors and an incredible white balance on the flower.Very well done,i like to see butterflies pics and this is a great gift to me.Thanks for share,have a nice week,Luciano

Hallo Milos,
a very beautiful capture of this pair of Polyommatus Icarus, superb sharpness and beautiful colours.
TFS
best regards
Maurizio

Ciao Milos, lovely composition with beautiful maiting couple, splendid sharpness, wonderful natural colors and fine details, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

This is a lovely picture of the butterflies, perfectly detailed and good point of view. regards yiannis

a beautiful capture of the butterflies, good sharpness and bright colours, interesting point of view in a very nice composition
TFS
Best regards
vijeesh

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2011-05-30 4:29]

Hello Milos,
A typical picture of yours with a good composition and a poetical way to show a picture. Lovely couple of Icarus perched on a daisy with petals which seem to be on the point to fade. Pleasant green background too.
Thanks and kind regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • nagraj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1618 W: 106 N: 3208] (15166)
  • [2011-05-30 6:45]

Hi,
Beautiful capture of this lovely pair of mating blues on the flower. fine composition. tfs.
nagraj.v

FANTASTIC photo Milos! The composition, the BG, the lighting, the colours and the sharpness are excellent.
Regards,
Christodoulos

Hello Milos,
Splendid capture of a lovely species of butterfly.
Great contrast against the green background. Very fine details and sharpness.
The light and exposure are fantastic.
Marius.

Hallo Milos
This is two beautiful butterflies which you captured in a special moment of mating. The colours and patterns on the wings of both is such a delight to look at and the light in the image helps to emphasise all these splendid features to the best. Your camera work on the finer details like the facial hair, eyes and antennas is really great. Thanks for sharing. Best regards.
Anna

beautiful and intimate, TFS Ori

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2011-06-01 2:31]

Hi Milos.
I like pictured scene as well as quality of the shot so much. Alone flower with charming small butterflies against the nice green BG is looked amazing. DOF is also perfect. All subject is tack sharp and BG is fine at its blurriness and pleasant colours. TFS and best wishes. Thanks also for warm greetings and comments to my last post.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2011-06-01 10:04]

Hello Milos,
Great sharp detailed photo in very beautiful bright colours and a pleasing composition. Nice OOF BG.
Regards,
Peter

great capture, nice picture and compo,
congratulations Milos !
excellent details, and perfect focus,
have a nice evening,

ciao, tino

Hi Milos,

Fabulous capture of these two fascinating Butterflies mating, good quality detailed sharpness, and very well exposed keeping the natural colours, lovely green out of focus background that compliments the picture well,
Congratulations Milos and have a nice evening,
Best Regards,

Pauly.

Hello Milos,
Great moment captured with vivid colours, good sharpness and details. Excellent POV and OOF BG too. Well done!
Regards,
Mircea

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2011-06-02 22:00]

Hello Milos,
Excellent capture of this mating pair, well composed to suit the POV on the flower.
Top sharpness, natural colours and fine OOF natural BG.
Thanks and have a good weekend,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2011-06-04 8:12]

Hello Milos,
An excellent capture of this pair of Blues in a fine composition. Excellent focus, sharpness, background and beautiful natural colours. THis species seems to be very common here in the south of Sweden this year!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

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