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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Butterflies Page 6
Image Taken on 22 Jul 2024
at 15:53 Image of day on 31 Aug 2024
This Comma Butterfly is obviously a new arrival, but has already had a brush
with something sharp all along the edge of the left forewing. Too many and
too small to be bird pecks, we guess a brush against a blackberry or rose stem.
 on stinging nettle leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20240831_r70_20240722_1553_019 comma butterfly (abraded left forewing edges) on stinging nettle leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2024
at 11:12 Image of day on 09 Sep 2024
A Comma Butterfly shows us his orange top of wing, and the dark bottom of
wing with the white 'comma' that gives the species it's common name.
 feeding on ragwort flower(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20240909_df3_20240726_1112_003 comma butterfly (both sides of wing visible) feeding on ragwort flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Jul 2016
at 15:57 Image of day on 20 Aug 2016
The Comma Butterfly overwinters as an adult and emerges to mate in the
Spring. After a period with no sightings, this is the first of the newly emerged
batch glowing in the afternoon sun.
 on hop sedge at duck pond(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20160820_df3_20160706_1557_127 comma butterfly (first new adult of 2016) on hop sedge at duck pond(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Sep 2019
at 10:00 Image of day on 26 Oct 2019
The next generation of Comma Butterflies has emerged, and will be making
the most of nectar, juice from rotting fruit, and the like, ready to survive
the coming winter.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20191026_df3_20190903_1000_552 comma butterfly (new emergence)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Sep 2019
at 10:01 Image of day on 26 Oct 2019
Here you see the white 'comma' that appears only on the bottom of the rear wings
of the Comma Butterfly.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20191026_df3_20190903_1001_562 comma butterfly (new emergence)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Jul 2021
at 17:39 Image of day on 18 Aug 2021
Following an initial flurry of Comma Butterflies in Spring, they do their
thing, lay eggs and die. The new brood appear as adults in July, and here
is a pristine sample. This generation again lay eggs, and the next 'batch'
appear in September. It is this generation that overwinter as adults to
venture out the following year to start the cycle going again.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20210818_d73_20210713_1739_290 comma butterfly (new generation)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jun 2020
at 11:05 Image of day on 02 Aug 2020
Perched on a leaf, we see how the Comma Butterfly's corrugated
leaf outline and colour looks so like a dead leaf.
 perched in hedge(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20200802_d73_20200628_1105_072 comma butterfly (showing bottom of wing comma) perched in hedge(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Aug 2018
at 15:44 Image of day on 20 Oct 2018
On the vertical side of the meadow post (where we see most of our Owls) is this
Comma Butterfly. In this pic you can see both sides of the wings, including the
white Comma mark that gives the insect it's name.
 on side of meadow post(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20181020_df3_20180829_1544_065 comma butterfly (showing upper & lower wing surfaces) on side of meadow post(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Jul 2006
at 17:04 Image of day on 17 Jul 2006
A newly emerged Comma Butterfly (named after that white mark) sucks
nectar from a blackberry flower. This is the underwing that looks like
wood. The top of the wings are orange.
 on blackberry flower(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20060717_d60_20060712_1704_691 comma butterfly (underwing) on blackberry flower(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Mar 2025
at 12:59 Image of day on 25 Apr 2025
... and here the same individual showing the completely different bottom of the wings.
The glancing light for this image emphasizes that the veins and the comma
have an 'embossed' appearance. The scalloped wing edges are quite wonderful!
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20250425_df3_20250318_1259_057 comma butterfly - underwing vein and comma mark detail (1st of 2025)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Sep 2006
at 13:10 Image of day on 26 Sep 2006
A comma butterfly sips from a blackberry fruit.
.jpg)
Ref: 20060926_d10_20060917_1310_162 comma butterfly drinking from blackberry fruit(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jun 2025
at 10:06 Image of day on 15 Aug 2025
We don't remember a year like it for Butterflies.
.jpg)
Ref: 20250815_d72_20250628_1006_022 comma butterfly feeding on blackberry flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Jun 2025
at 17:55 Image of day on 13 Aug 2025
This has been a wonderful week for enjoying butterflies.
Something will appear every few steps along the orchard paths.
The dominant species are the Comma and Meadow Brown Butterfly,
but others make appearances.
Here a Comma Butterfly with the white 'Comma' on the underwing clearly visible.
.jpg)
Ref: 20250813_d72_20250623_1755_036 comma butterfly feeding on blackberry flower(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Jul 2013
at 15:37 Image of day on 12 Sep 2013
A Comma butterfly enjoying nectar from a blackberry flower.
The characteristic white 'comma' marking are on the underside of the wing
and are not visible on the perched insect with wings 'open'.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20130912_a77_20130721_1537_041 comma butterfly feeding on blackberry flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Sep 2013
at 10:58 Image of day on 30 Nov 2013
This Comma butterfly, with proboscis down in the juice of a nearly hidden berry,
is surprisingly well camouflaged - we only spotted it by chance
when it flicked it's wings at a fly passing by.
.jpg)
Ref: 20131130_p10_20130927_1058_150 comma butterfly feeding on blackberry fruit(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Sep 2023
at 10:38 Image of day on 05 Nov 2023
The Comma Butterfly on the left 'won' the encounter and quickly got back to feeding.
An inadvertent fly didn't disturb the Butterfly.
.jpg)
Ref: 20231105_df3_20230914_1038_079 comma butterfly feeding on blackberry fruit with incidental insect flyby(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Sep 2025
at 10:15 Image of day on 08 Nov 2025
This Comma Butterfly is drinking juice from this delicious looking over-ripe cluster of blackberry fruits.
Only while working up this pic did we spot the yellowish ladybird just beneath the head of
the Butterfly. The head-end spots are 'wrong' for 7-spot & ID is uncertain.
.jpg)
Ref: 20251108_d72_20250919_1015_041 comma butterfly feeding on blackberry fruit with incidental unidentified ladybird(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Sep 2006
at 15:43 Image of day on 14 Sep 2006
As a detail from yesterdays image, you can see that the proboscis
is a figure-of-8 cross section that keeps it from getting
tangled up.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20060914_d10_20060907_1543_108 comma butterfly feeding on late blackberry flower (detail of proboscis)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Sep 2006
at 15:43 Image of day on 13 Sep 2006
For a few hours on one day (7 Sep) one section of hedge was decorated
with comma butterflies on blackberry fruits and some late flowers.
Tomorrow the detail of the proboscis.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20060913_d10_20060907_1543_108 comma butterfly feeding on late blackberry flower (whole image)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2022
at 14:03 Image of day on 29 Apr 2022
A Comma Butterfly feeds on a flower of our gigantic Laurel bush
.jpg)
Ref: 20220429_df3_20220326_1403_301 comma butterfly feeding on laurel flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
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