The butterfly flew onto a dry wildflower stalk, just several feet to my left. She was tiny, and she was all decked out. The butterfly caught my eye immediately, as I am now trained to notice wing movement. I am also wired to note unique butterflies.

With her coffee colored wings, the Greek Offshore islands blue coloring, the spot on each forewing, her perky posture, the milk-white outer edges of wing, and that richly shaded body with it clown-like abdomen, who could not appreciate this siren, posing on a farm road in Binyamina, Israel?

What butterfly species was she? Field guides are just to heavy to lug into the bush, but now we know that she is a female Azanus Jesous.

Found in western Israel, Gaza, northern Israel and the western and southern shores of the Sinai Peninsula, this example is an especially fresh example. Good. Ah, such successful fieldwork.

Jeff