Idas Blue

Lycaeides idas

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Norway

Male, Switzerland, 2004

Female, Switzerland, 2004 (this individual is exceptionally blue, I think)

Male, Switzerland 2004

Female underside, Switzerland

Male underside, Switzerland

These are not good pictures, but they show enough. The idas blue is very like the silver-studded blue, including having silver-studs on the underside hindwing. However, the border of the forewing is generally narrower and the black marks inside the orange submarginal lunules generally sharper. If you get one in the hand, silver-studded blues have a spine of the tibia of the foreleg which idas blues lack. This is not a good field mark!

Idas blues are quite common and widespread in Europe.