Common Blue butterfly
Polyommatus icarus
family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers & Hairstreaks)
The Common Blue butterfly has a background of blue/light brown with white-ringed black spots and orange marks near the edge of the underside of the wing.
Blue is the colour of the upperside of the wings of the male Common Blue butterfly. The female may be blue or brown on the upperside.
My personal observations of the Common Blue butterfly
months seen in my garden: August mainly
garden plants that attract this species: Helichrysum, Hyssop, Lavender, Marigold, Sedum, Scabious, Verbena
Butterfly sightings 2005:
First Common Blue
seen at Clattinger Farm, 5 June
Common Blue on Tormentil
at Grimes Graves, 9 June
Common Blue on Sanfoin,
Gloucestershire, 18 June
Common Blue, 1 August
Common Blue on Hyssop, overnight visitor 13-14 August
Common Blue on Thistle, Cirencester
Park, 20 August
Common Blue at Whitesheet Hill, 21 August
Butterfly sightings 2004:
The above photograph was taken on Saturday 21 August 2004. I was on a short break from hospital where I spent 4 months having chemotherapy. The plant is Lavender.
The following images were taken before my hospital admission in July & have been included for the record but none is particularly good:
Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 19 June
Common Blue, 1 July
Common Blue, 1 July
top 7 memorable digital images of 2003:
Male Common Blue. Dorset.
August 11. Top of wings are blue with a white fringe.
Female Common Blue in my
garden. Top of wings are brown & blue. August 6.
Male resting on bamboo
in my garden. August 19.
Female sat on pink Hyssop
in my garden. August 19. The male above had just flown away from this area.
I may have disturbed their courtship.
Female Common Blue feeding
on Helichrysum. August 22.
August 4. Side view showing
spots on the upper and lower wings.
Male Common Blue on Bird's
Foot Trefoil. Dorset. August 10.
A memorable slide from 2003:
Whitesheet Hill, Wiltshire. August
12.
A selection of images from previous years
11 September 2002 on Verbena
5 September 2002, male on
Sedum spectabile - top of wings
1 September 2002, female
on Red Valerian - top of wings
1 September 2002, female
on Red Valerian - side view
1 September 2002, female
on Red Valerian - top of wings
24 August 2002 on Verbena
21 August 2002, female on
Hyssop - side view
21 August 2002, female on
Hyssop - top of wings
21 August 2002, female on
Hyssop - side view
21 August 2002, female on
Hyssop - top of wings
20 August 2000 on Helichrysum
- side view
20 August 2000 on Helichrysum
- the other side
August 1998 - side view
identification:
To identify the Blue butterflies (Lycaenidae family), you need a good view of the underside of the wings.
Common Blue or Holly Blue?
The Common Blue butterfly has orange markings towards the edge of the wing. The other frequent blue butterfly garden visitor is the Holly Blue which has no orange on the underside.
Common Blue or Brown Argus?
To differentiate between a male Common Blue and a male Brown Argus look at the top side of the wings: blue and brown respectively.
To differentiate between Common Blue and Brown Argus (especially females) observe the spots on the underside. The Common Blue has a spot on the upper wing which the Brown Argus does not - see picture below.
If the butterfly is seen on a chalk or limestone hillside or downland, then it needs to be distinguished from Chalkhill Blue or Adonis Blue too by further markings.
Common Blue or Chalkhill Blue?
Chalkhill Blue butterflies are slightly bigger and paler in colour. On the upperside of the wings, the black veins cross the white fringe on the Chalkhill Blue.
Common Blue or Adonis Blue?
The blue of the topside of the male Adonis Blue is very bright - more like turquoise. The white fringe at the edge of the wings is broken by the black veins running across it on the Adonis Blue butterfly.
Reference Section
Size: 35mm (smaller than the Small White - see list of butterflies by size)
First Generation flight period: June-July
Second Generation flight period: August-September
Third Generation flight period: October in good year
Habitat:
Larval Food Plants: Bird's Foot Trefoil, Restharrows and Clover
Wild Nectar Plants: Bird's Foot Trefoil, Yarrow, Tormentil, Sanfoin, Thistle
Family Group: Lycaenidae - see list of butterflies by family