Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
2009 photos highlighted in yellow. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 18111_male_Isere_12Jul09 | 4117_male_Var_31Aug06 | 05_25-16_male_Haute Garonne_25Jul05 |
Boeticus is a migratory species and seems to be quite widespread, although I have never seen more than one specimen in any given place. It could be confused with the Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous) on the basis of the underside patterning, but boeticus is generally much larger and more triangular, and the continuous sub-marginal unh white band is definitive. The marginal markings in s1 and s2 (more so in s2) are beautifully edged in silver scales, not really visible from these photos, and internally edged in orange.
It seemed to be more numerous in 2009, turning up in several localities, and this impression was reinforced by other observers. Maybe 2009, the year of the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) migration, was a good year for migrants generally.
18111: I am assuming that this is a male, despite my doubts about the quite strongly brown colouring, and to some extent the wing shape, both of which suggest female. Maybe it is a female just taking moisture, as other species - clearly females - were doing at this same location. Altitude 1120m.
4117: I am assuming 4117 is a male based mainly on body shape, although the greyish colouring would be what I would consider more typical of a male. Altitude 780m.
05_25-16: a male, with the tails almost completed obliterated in this poor photo of a rather battered specimen, with rather wide black marginal borders.
05_25-16_male_Haute Garonne_25Jul05
