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Idas Blue (Plebejus idas) Idas Blue is not very easy to identify, especially the females. Separating Idas from Silver-studded Blue can be really tricky if not impossible. I have identified this male as Idas Blue on the basis of the combination of underside patterning and rather narrow black edges on the upperwings. If you disagree I would be very pleased to know because I'm eagerly trying to learn to identify these magnificent creatures ;-). Finland,Geotagged,Idas Blue,Lepidoptera,Lycaenidae,Plebejus,Plebejus idas,Scandinavia,Summer,blue,butterfly,closeup,insect,macro,summer Click/tap to enlarge Country intro

Idas Blue (Plebejus idas)

Idas Blue is not very easy to identify, especially the females. Separating Idas from Silver-studded Blue can be really tricky if not impossible. I have identified this male as Idas Blue on the basis of the combination of underside patterning and rather narrow black edges on the upperwings. If you disagree I would be very pleased to know because I'm eagerly trying to learn to identify these magnificent creatures ;-).

    comments (4)

  1. View Annette Flottwell's profile
    Annette Flottwell
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Dear Ari I don't know whether it helps, while I was living in France this here helped me a lot.
    http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/blues_ID.htm
    And yes sometimes I have spent hours trying to ID them.
    Here it is worse, especially with skippers.     Posted 9 years ago
    1. View Ari Parviainen's profile
      Ari Parviainen
      King Cobra
      View King Cobra class
      I have used that site many times and have it in my bookmarks but thanks for the link anyway :). It is a very good site and it covers most of FInland's butterflies. Identifying Blues and Fritillaries can be very time consuming, even frustrating but sometimes also very rewarding. Skippers are not a problem here, we don't have that many species of them. Posted 9 years ago
  3. View WildFlower's profile
    WildFlower
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Blues identification is a nightmare. I don't give up easily, but I've given up trying to discriminate between them. There are too many very similar species and I just cannot see the differences. Posted 9 years ago
    1. View Ari Parviainen's profile
      Ari Parviainen
      King Cobra
      View King Cobra class
      You are so right, it can be really frustrating but here in the north it's not quite as impossible as more south in Europe because we have much fewer species. Still there are enough difficulties to drive me mad occasionally ;-). Posted 9 years ago

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The Plebejus idas

The Idas Blue or Northern Blue is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in the northerern regions of the Palearctic ecozone and the Nearctic ecozone.
Flies from June to August depending on location. Wingspan: 17 to 28 mm. The larvae feed on Calluna and Fabaceae species.

Info 2 0
Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
Species identified by Ari Parviainen
View Ari Parviainen's profile

By Ari Parviainen

All rights reserved
Uploaded Mar 3, 2016. Captured Jul 21, 2014 16:24 in Kokinniemi 13, 80400 Liperi, Finland.
country flag of Finland Explore Finland 45 35 0
  • NIKON D3000
  • f/6.3
  • 1/320s
  • ISO200
  • 150mm
Captured in the summer. More summer photos.