Pea Blue or Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
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8 responses to “Pea Blue or Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus”
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There was great excitement in southern England last year when a number of these arrived from France. They were able to breed and produce a second generation. Sadly they didn’t make it up to Scotland, but it will be interesting to see if they have managed to survive the mild winter that we have had in the UK. Lovely pictures. I am always excited to see Pea Blues, or Long-tailed Blues, as they are called over here, when I am on holiday. I still haven’t managed a good picture, though.
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Perhaps you’ll get one this summer on your holiday! Is there any chance they will get up to you in Scottland this year? It’s amazing how far ranging this one is! They seem to be everywhere. I have tons more from China that I haven’t got around to sorting from last summer!
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We have had an amazingly mild winter in the UK. I think this is the first time we have had no snow here in East Lothian. You would imagine that the Long-tailed Blues could have survived in the southern counties, in which case you would think they could reach as far as Scotland. That would be something special!
So, which butterfly do you think is the most wide ranging? Monarch? Small White? Painted Lady? Long-tailed Blue?-
Here’s to a great butterflying season for you in Scotland!. Hmm…I’ve personally seen the Monarch in the US and NZ; the Longtailed Blue in Thailand, Taiwan and China; the Painted Lady in China and the US; and the Small White in Thailand, Taiwan, China, NZ and the US. So in my experience, the Small White. But what is ironic, is that I started seriously butterflying in Texas back in 2006…but never saw a Cabbage White there until this past summer. I desperately wanted to find one, and just never ever did. So when I started finding them in such abundance in Asia, I was thrilled. I still really love them, because they are the last you see in Autumn, and the first you see in Spring here. They are like Old Faithful! But I know most people are not as enamored with them as me :).
So what has your experience been? Which species is most wide ranging?
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I think I have coincidentally been to a lot of places where the Monarch exists – Southern Europe, USA, Caribbean, Canary Islands and Mauritius. However, I have only recently learned that it doesn’t occur in Asia.
The Painted Lady seems to occur in all of those places, too, but it also occurs in Africa, Asia and cooler parts of Europe, so I guess it trumps the Monarch.
The Long-tailed Blue or Pea Blue seems to have a wide range, but seems to be most limited by temperatures, not occurring very far north. I am not sure if it is found in the USA or not, though.
The Small White seems to have been spread by humans on Brassicas. I believe it is now a pest in Australia and New Zealand. Although it has moved in to many countries, it is the butterfly out of the four that I have seen in the fewest number of places.
I am always thrilled to see Monarchs and Long-tailed Blues and that must be because they don’t occur here. I have to admit to being a little disappointed when I see a Painted Lady or Small White when I am abroad, because I always hope they are going to turn out to be something more exotic!
I think the Monarch wins my most widely distributed award!-
Interesting. Well, if we average it out, then the Long-tailed Blue probably wins.
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Wow! You got a shot with his wings open. I’m impressed! Hard to do.
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Yeah, these don’t sit open too often! They usually are closed. But sometimes they do open, and I love their inside!
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