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This week's assignment for Macro Mondays is "All in a Row". I could have used so many items but I chose this belt with studs which are all in a row. I hope you like it!
Thank you for your views, comments and faves! HMM everyone!
It has taken me a while to get a half decent photograph of this relatively uncommon UK species, but finally I have it.
The silver-studded blue emerges in June and is usually on the wing until late August. It is a rare butterfly, generally found in heathland habitats that have shorter, sparsely vegetated areas. It is restricted to close-knit colonies in southern England and Wales.
This was photographed on Silchester Common in Hampshire, a noted site for this charming little butterfly.
The chandeliers and lamps in this room give the gold studded walls a great shine.
Designed for a client.
Silver-studded Blues are commonest on southern heathlands around the New Forest and Thames Basin. Beyond that they are decidedly localised, though often common where they do occur. They are noticeably smaller than Common Blues, with a more leaden blue colouration, with a row of black studs around the hindwing margin. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including gorse, heather and rock-rose, but they also have a relationship with black ants of the genus Lasius. Ants carry the young larvae into their nests where they tend and protect them, presumably for the sugary solutions they exude. But it is not known whether they actually feed on ant larvae (like Large Blues do), but at night the caterpillars emerge from the ants' nests to feed on vegetation. Female Silver-studded Blues selectively lay eggs on vegetation close to Black Ant nests.
As far as I'm aware there are no "natural" colonies in Yorkshire, but a few years ago a colony was established in South Yorkshire using butterflies translocated from Shropshire. We were passing on the way back from Lincolnshire so called in and saw a small number on the wing. The person who unofficially introduced these butterflies (and many other species at many other sites) died last year but the Guardian wrote an article about him and his butterfly releasing activities: www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/13/maverick-rewi...
he Silver-studded Blue gets its name from the light blue reflective scales found on the underside of most adults and which are quite visible when light reflects off them. As with many other species of blue, the males are blue while the female is a less-conspicuous brown. However, this butterfly is highly variable in appearance and, as stated in Dennis (1977), variation extends to "differences in the male upperside coloration, the width of the marginal border (wide in the New Forest, narrow in Devonshire) and the underside grey coloration (dull grey in the New Forest, silvery grey in east Suffolk); in the female to the development of the blue coloration and the orange lunules on the upperside, and on the underside to the coloration, the width and prominence of the medial white band".
Finally, a trip out to try for some butterflies! Clive drove me out to meet Mary (I'm still not allowed to travel in her car) and he sat and read while we went looking for these little beauties. Lots about but it was very breezy and that made macros tricky - besides them not wanting to settle for very long. This male and female were getting up close but she didn't seem to really want his attentions, flying off when he got too persistent. The male is closest to the camera with his blue wings wide open and the female behind with her wings up.
The Silver-studded blues were pairing all over the heath this morning. These ones actually pared up beside me while I was waiting for the Yellowhammer
On a morning trip to Yateley Common I found this female Silver-studded Blue in some lovely long, wet grass. I had to sit and get soaked for a while however it was worth it. Shooting into the the grass and moisture give some magical effects.
Numbers are still well down on last year, as the weather is so poor. Normally dusty tracks are quagmires but still a few hardy specimens are trying. I've not seen a female SSB yet and my annual survey is half way through.... fingers crossed we will finally get some warm anddry weather soon; it's supposed to be summer! Here's one of the few from Thursday.
All sins tend to be addictive and the terminal point of addiction is damnation.
W.H.Auden
Florence + The Machine - Breath Of Life
We welcome our new male elk to the herd. He's been on exhibit for a while but I always found him far away until now.
Beautiful 10 point rack.
Last Tuesday evening I went a few hours searching for this beauty, the Silver-studded Blue.
It was a difficult task, with the wind and hyperactive butterflies.
But I managed to capture them, this is one of the pics I made.
Handheld shot.
Stopped off at the heath on the way home and had a chance to try out fill in flash in this overcast weather. At least when it is like this the butterflies are quite reluctant to take to the wing.
Taken in Norfolk.
Taken at Prees Heath, Whitchurch during their four or five day mating season. These beautiful insects are about the size of an adults thumb nail.
Available in store, right now,
These tops come in 25 different colors with 10 metal change HUD
There is also a FATPACK with all the available colors
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%20Grace/132/120/24
Hope you enjoy ♥
All of the DarkFire items are 100% original mesh