Lesser Grass Blue

Description:

Lycaenidae; Lycaeninae; Polyommatini; Zizina otis oriens Butler 1883. Three days ago, I posted a spotting of a Lesser Grass Blue, but I had only one picture of a rather worn and shredded specimen. I was disappointed not only because it was only one picture, but because the picture did not give even a slight glimpse of the upper wing surface which is, obviously, important. The powdery blue upper wing surfaces help to establish that this butterfly is a member of the Polyommatini. So, I returned to the same spot today to try and take some "open wing" photos. Today's pictures are a little better, but photos #2 to #5 have the pale, insipid blue, displayed by females. Picture #1 might be a male, as the upper wing surface, which can just be seen, is stronger and more vibrant. but even that could be misleading as the edges of the upper wings tend to be darker (as in #3). However, I mustn't complain too much because the "Blues" are often frenetic and difficult to photograph. At least, that is my excuse :-)

Habitat:

Spotted on leaf litter on the road leading into rice fields.

Notes:

The rather inadequate spotting mentioned above - https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/20... Previous spotting of this species, showing males which have much stronger blue colouring on the upper wings - https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/86...