Return to moorhen home page
Return to section index
Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Butterflies Page 6
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 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 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
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2022
at 14:03 Image of day on 29 Apr 2022
Same actual insect, this time looking quite different with wings closed
and showing the white 'comma' that gives these Butterflies their name.
.jpg)
Ref: 20220429_df3_20220326_1403_304 comma butterfly feeding on laurel flower showing underwing mark(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Jul 2015
at 12:55 Image of day on 17 Sep 2015
Here is a Comma Butterfly enjoying a feed on the a Buddleia
flower spike. You can see both sides of the wing - on the left the
underside with the white 'comma', and on the right the brighter
top side.
If you want to buy a Buddleia our experience is that then paler
the colour the more attractive to the insects when they have a
choice - white being our best, but latest to flower.
.jpg)
Ref: 20150917_df3_20150717_1255_019 comma butterfly feeding on purple buddleia(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Aug 2015
at 15:17 Image of day on 06 Oct 2015
Here are images from 2 flights of a Comma Butterfly merged into
an almost believable pair.
We take 3 frames in quick succession in this setup in the hope of
at least one having something in it. Sometimes we get 2
successive frames we know are only about 200mS part and even we
find it hard to believe the maneuverability.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20151006_da1_20150802_1517_554+557_ft1 comma butterfly in 2 flights (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Apr 2019
at 15:40 Image of day on 20 May 2019
Comma Butterflies used to be Autumn-only visitors here, but now we see them in
Spring as well. The upper and lower wings are completely different colours, the
white 'comma' only showing on the bottom of the wing (right hand image of 2
separate flights).
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190520_da1_20190421_1540_279+276+20190422_1508_188_ft1 comma butterfly in 2 flights with laurel (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Jul 2010
at 15:36 Image of day on 23 Aug 2010
Unable to choose between the various images we took of this individual,
here is a montage as they actually appeared in their frames over
about 2 minutes. An unusually obliging flyer.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20100823_da1_20100710_1536_104+1537_113+1538_122_ft1 comma butterfly in flight (artistic montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jul 2013
at 13:52 Image of day on 12 Sep 2013
Taken indoors in flight, this shows the undersides of the Comma
Butterfly's wings, including the white 'comma' on both sides of
the insect at once.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20130912_da1_20130722_1352_316+1310_290_ft1 comma butterfly in flight showing underwing with thistle flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Oct 2010
at 15:27 Image of day on 05 Dec 2010
3 days later we netted this surprisingly spruce Comma butterfly and brought
it in for some images in flight.
First showing the bottom of the wings with the white 'comma'.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20101205_da1_20101010_1527_364+1545_446_ft1 comma butterfly in flight with blackberry fruits (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Comments and requests for image use
To make a comment, ask for information or to request a full
resolution image, send us an email including the reference or
the date for the image you are interested in.
All initial contacts should be made using the icon below:-
