I recently read on the web that blue is the least found color in nature, so I was curious how many organisms are actually blue.
It doesn’t have to be a fully blue organism, but the primary color has to be blue.
I’m guessing birds and arthropods are probably more commonly blue, but I’m interested in seeing what others everyone will come up with.
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Bluebirds are quite common around where I live and have an abundant population. I also notice quite a few butterflies called Blues and damselflies that are bright blue.
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Just remembered about Blue Jays and (who could forget) the Blue Whale!
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There is a project for that
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/blue
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Cool!
I always found the blue eyes of cormorants to be quite beautiful. Looking through my photos, I realised I’ve never taken a closeup of their eyes. I’ll put that on the bucket list!
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/130530412
There’s also the blue of a Mallard’s speculum. These feathers are often hidden under the flanks, so you won’t see them all the time. It’s a real treat when you do though. This colour is created by the structure of the feathers rather than pigmentation, so it can appear more green or purple depending on how the light hits them.
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/237335421
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Oh, I didn’t read the full question. The most blue organism I’ve seen was this Acanthocephala nymph. It’s very shiny.
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/231483718
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Wow! That’s an amazing insect.
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I’ve only observed these during one trip, last year, but they’ve become one of my favorite species to identify: Velella velella.
After being stranded on a beach like this, they’ll gradually dry out and lose their blue color, ending up a translucent white.
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This unfortunate yellowtail scad:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/252562424
along with this lonely claw:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/229645015
and this portuguese man’o war:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/246877938
those are the most memorable blue organisms I have observations for.
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and with a lovely common name
By the wind sailor
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For such a rare colour I feel I see a lot of blue in nature, unlike purple. Although its usually not all blue as much as partial. And maybe blue-grey/blue-green?
Here are a selection of my obs, trying not to repeat as above.
Blue Pinkgill Entoloma hochstetter (NZs national fungi, which is on our $50 note).
Boddart’s Blue-spotted Mudskipper Boleophthalmus boddarti
Sargus thoracicus
New Zealand Half Crab Petrolisthes elongatusResearch Grade
Lots of choice in butterflies, but heres a Mesosemia messeis
Pyrops coelestinus
Blackfoot Paua Haliotis iris
Mabuyas Subfamily Mabuyinae
Dont really know what was going on with this moth, lighting is probably part of it.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135943562
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Partly blue …
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Wow! That horn-like structure on its head, is that the antennae? Do we know if it serves a purpose to become enlarged like that?
Looking at the other iNat observations, this would appear to be a rare species endemic to Vietnam, except that you have the only observation in Cambodia. (And the Wikipedia page says that the Type specimen is from Cambodia.)
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Blue jays, obviously, but also…
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/237310448
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Another “lonely claw”:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/234784959
A cute hopper (that may be redundant):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/228089565
A mushroom:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/179579872
This moth:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/232341002
These berries:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135037009
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https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/229395008
Bluebead lily.
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No beauty berries? those are a ferocious blue.
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