Painted Lady, Tenerife (1 Viewer)

Barred Wobbler · Jan 28, 2019

I was walking along a track at Las Lajas picnic area in Tenerife a couple of weeks ago, when a small - and I mean small - butterfly caught my eye as it flew past me and settled on the path.

Before it flew off I managed a photo, but as I focused I was surprised to see a painted lady, but not the normal-sized painted lady I an familiar with. This one was tiny. Think almost common blue tiny.

Am I missing something?

Andy Adcock · Jan 28, 2019

Can't be anything else Wobbler, just a runt, the body does look stunted to me even in the pic?

RafaelMatias · Jan 28, 2019

Indeed a Painted Lady, no doubt about it.
The tiny size occurs occasionally on all butterfly species (potentially) and it has to do usually with the dissecation of the host plants before the larvae can attain full size. This results in dwarf individuals. I've seen this on many species, always very surprising when one sees this. I've seen this occurring (from the top of my head) on Green-veined Whites, Tree Graylings, Wstern Marbled Whites, among others. When this happens with some Lycaenidae species it can create serious ID issues.

Andy Adcock · Jan 28, 2019

RafaelMatias said:
Indeed a Painted Lady, no doubt about it.
The tiny size occurs occasionally on all butterfly species (potentially) and it has to do usually with the dissecation of the host plants before the larvae can attain full size. This results in dwarf individuals. I've seen this on many species, always very surprising when one sees this. I's seen this occurring (from the top of my head) on Green-veined Whites, Tree Graylings, Wstern Marbled Whites, among others. When this happens with some Lycaenidae species it can create serious ID issues.

When it happens in any group, it can cause head scratching!

I had this, last year in Russia, it was decided in the end that it was a Silver-studded Blue, apart from the minute size, the spots are unusually bold.

I saw a Small Pearl-bordered fritillary last year too which was tiny though it was a second generation which probably contributed?

RafaelMatias · Jan 28, 2019

andyadcock said:
I saw a Small Pearl-bordered fritillary last year too which was tiny though it was a second generation which probably contributed?

I would think so, yes. But again connected with a scarcity or dissecation of food plants.
My comment about the Lycaenidae wasn't clear and was made with a specific case in mind: there's an Osiris Blue record from NE Portugal, which might have its origins in a dwarf Mazarine Blue (with underside pattern slightly off).

Barred Wobbler · Jan 28, 2019

Thanks folks. I was thinking it could be a dwarf, and I googled that, but came up with nothing.

honeym · Jan 28, 2019

My old line manager at the NHM used to call them starvlings. I get exactly the same with moths in the autumn in the Balearic Islands, after the long hot summer and before the autumn rains.

Andy Adcock · Jan 29, 2019

honeym said:
My old line manager at the NHM used to call them starvlings. I get exactly the same with moths in the autumn in the Balearic Islands, after the long hot summer and before the autumn rains.

And we in Russia like others last year,, endured an extremely, dry summer so that seems to solidify the point.

Painted Lady, Tenerife (1 Viewer)

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