Polyommatus icarus [Common Blue], Lepidoptera Lycanidae

[Nico]

Chalwatzis, N. 2013. Polyommatus icarus, Rottemburg, 1775 (Lepidoptera, Lycanidae). Common Blue. Butterfly photographed in visible and ultraviolet light.

 

reference: http://www.ultraviol...tera-lycanidae/

 

Polyommatus icarus, Rottemburg, 1775

 

DE: Hauhechel-Bläuling, Gemeiner Bläuling

EN: Common Blue

 

Photographed near Burgarach, Southern France 29 July to 8 August 2013.

 

Polyommatus icarus is one of the most common species of the family Lycanidae. This species has a Palaearctic distribution. The caterpillars feed on the various species of Fabacea (e.g. Lotus spp., Lathyrus spp., Trifolium spp., Astragalus spp.).

Similar to the species Polyommatus coridon that was published here http://www.ultraviol...tera-lycanidae/ the outside or “downside” of the wings has a UV reflection that doesn’t make the animal stand out from the background. However, in P. icarus the visibly black and red marks on the wings show a stronger contrast compared to the rest of the wing because they are entirely UV-black.

The insides, or upper sides, of the wings that are only visible in active animals and appear to humans in bright blue have a very strong UV-reflexion. This makes the blue (inner) sides of the wings appear much brighter than the background in the UV-capture.

 

UV images were taken with a broadband-modified Panasonic Lumix G1 and the EL-Nikkor 80mm/f5.6 at f8.

 

Visible light image: Panasonic Lumix GH2 (unmodified) with Tokina AT-X 90 mm Macro.

image reference: CHA_P1200160_130731

 

 

Visible light image: Panasonic Lumix G1 with EL-Nikkor 80/f5.6, Baader UV/IR-cut-filter

image reference: CHA_P1100266_130729

 

UV-image, Baader U-filter 2”, ISO 400, UV-flash MR21N

image reference: CHA_P1100271_130729

 

crop from the image above

 

 

UV-image, Baader U-filter 2”, ISO 400, UV-flash MR21N

image reference: CHA_P1100629_130808

 

 

[published: 20 September 2013]