Silver studded blue and attendant host

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lain prone on the ground, camera on the ground Canon 1DX Canon 180mm macro ISO 1240 1/250 sec f16.
I have been photographing silver studded blues for a few years but only this year have I had the opportunity to capture them as they emerge from the ant hill. This one had emerged about five minutes previous to the shot being taken. It climbed a shot stem to pump up its wings and the brown ant came along to ensure it wasn't an intruder. The eggs of the butterfly are taken into the ant hill where they mature and this is the moment I wanted as the imago emerged.
It wasn't the most comfortable experience lying on a wet anthill but hey you have to suffer fro your craft!
All C&C welcome.

[Randy Stout]

Jon:

Soft light, nicely exposed, great (but wet) POV. Ant adds to the story.

I might be tempted to move it a bit more out of center.

I am curious about this relationship between the ants and the butterflies. What is in it for the ants?

Cheers

Randy

[Warren Spreng]

Very nice, lovely colors, the ant helps to give a reference to how small these little beauties are! And kudos for laying on an anthill to get the shot, makes me itch thinking about it!

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks Warren, Stanley regarding the ants' benefit I really don't know, it would appear that at some stage they may be interested by secretion from the larvae, I attach a website for you to read about it. The butterfly was photographed at Prees Heath, about 1hr drive from my home.
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=argus

[Randy Stout]

Jon: I was so curious that I looked it up. Apparently the butterfly larvae secrete "honeydew" which the ants collect. The ants will protect the larvae from intruders. Nice symbiotic relationship.

Randy

[Diane Miller]

Amazing -- I never knew that ants raised butterflies! Kudos for going to the trouble to get the image, which is excellent both as documentation and as art.

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Jonathan,
Wonderful image with the ant and of course the butterfly is awesome too. May see what the image looks like moving the butterfly off center as Randy suggests and I wonder if lightening it some would improve it at all. Well done.

Allen

[Karen Pleasant]

Quite an interesting and educational image. You definitely were rewarded with a nice photo op for your perseverance and your willingness to lay on an ant hill! Any bites? Very nice as it is, but perhaps lightening it and de-centering would make an even stronger image. TFS!

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Congrats on a very good image and thank you for the story. Very good reward for your non-comfortable experience!