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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Butterflies Page 20
Image Taken on 07 May 2018
at 17:47 Image of day on 22 Jun 2018
Male Orange-tip Butterflies appear about a week before the females.
Here is a male tanking-up on a Bluebell flower.
Ref: 20180622_df3_20180507_1747_009 orange-tip butterfly male on bluebell flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Apr 2017
at 14:14 Image of day on 27 May 2017
This individual Orange-tip Butterfly just wouldn't fly in our kit, but while perched
on a soft artists paint brush he gave us a good view of his proboscis curled up
in the manner that it is stored between feeds. We have inserted a primrose leaf
to mostly hide the bristles of the brush - the double edge effect on the leaf is
real - not some 'photoshopping' artefact.
Ref: 20170527_da1_20170409_1414_100+1426_120_ft1 orange-tip butterfly male on bristles with coiled proboscis + primrose leaf (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2010
at 16:46 Image of day on 21 May 2010
Roy's favourite butterfly put in the first appearance of the year
on what here is it's favourite flower - the Cuckoo flower, also
called Lady's Smock (Cuckoo Flower)
Ref: 20100521_df1_20100417_1646_155 orange-tip butterfly male on cuckoo flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Apr 2023
at 12:55 Image of day on 09 Jun 2023
Garlic Mustard has just started flowering, and here at least it is the favourite
food of Orange tip butterflies. Here we catch a male (only males have the orange
tips) with wings both open and closed, showing the entirely different appearances
Ref: 20230609_d72_20230428_1255_079+082 orange-tip butterfly male on garlic mustard flower - wings open and closed (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 01 May 2015
at 12:40 Image of day on 28 Jun 2015
Orange-tip butterflies are restless little souls who hardly ever
stop their erratic flight. But they do need to refuel sometimes -
this one on the Lady's Smock (Cuckoo Flower). The red wing
tip appear only on the males, but the intricate green tracery
(you can't see here) on the other side of the wing decorates
both sexes.
Ref: 20150628_df3_20150501_1240_165 orange-tip butterfly male on ladys smock (cuckoo flower) flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 05 May 2015
at 12:13 Image of day on 28 Jun 2015
We see Orange-tip butterflies on most outings at the moment when
the sun is out. It is usually the males we see because they are
out 'hunting' for females and only they have the bright orange
tips. But we see the odd female so the males are presumably not
left disappointed.
Ref: 20150628_df3_20150505_1213_080 orange-tip butterfly male on nettle leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 May 2023
at 16:32 Image of day on 18 Jun 2023
A male Orange-tip Butterfly perched on a three-leafed 'hand' of Blackberry Leaves.
Ref: 20230618_d72_20230501_1632_017 orange-tip butterfly male perched on blackberry leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 May 2021
at 16:16 Image of day on 12 Jun 2021
The Orange-tip Butterflies have been on-the-wing for an atypically long time
this year. This one is perched on yet-to-flower Cow Parsley bud.
Ref: 20210612_d73_20210515_1616_049 orange-tip butterfly male perched on cow parsley bud (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 May 2021
at 16:16 Image of day on 12 Jun 2021
A closer look shows the coiled up proboscis just below and right of the compound eye.
Ref: 20210612_d73_20210515_1616_049 orange-tip butterfly male perched on cow parsley bud (crop 2 - coiled proboscis detail)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 15 May 2015
at 12:48 Image of day on 08 Jul 2015
A favourite butterfly is the Orange-Tip, and here is one using
its underwing camouflage to great effect. We had trouble find it
even though we saw it land only a few metres away. This is the
male with the upper wing tip bright orange, but folded out of
sight. You can just make out an orange tinge near the back top of
the upper wing, but the disguise is near complete.
Ref: 20150708_p10_20150515_1248_498 orange-tip butterfly male perched with wings closed showing underwing pattern (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 05 May 2024
at 13:33 Image of day on 27 May 2024
Orange-tip butterflies now make a bee-line (sorry for the pun) to flowers of
Garlic Mustard which we have in abundance. The females lay their eggs on this
plant. Only the males have the wonderful Orange tip.
Ref: 20240527_df3_20240505_1333_134 orange-tip butterfly male showing both sides of wing feeding on garlic mustard flower (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 May 2018
at 15:57 Image of day on 07 Jun 2018
This orange tip is newly emerged and flutters seemingly non-stop in search of a
mate. Only the male has the gorgeous orange tips, but both sexes have the
beautiful green and white patterning over the underneath of the rear wings, and
along the edge of the forewing which perfectly lines up when the insect closes
it's wings. Amazing!
Ref: 20180607_df3_20180503_1557_070 orange-tip butterfly male showing patterned underwing (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Apr 2012
at 16:28 Image of day on 26 May 2012
An Orange-tip butterfly feeding on a Lady's Smock (Cuckoo Flower) flower.
Where's the 'orange' bit then? Like many sexually dimorphic species, the
orange tips to the wings are on the males only - this is a female.
Ref: 20120526_df1_20120430_1628_210+215 orange-tip butterfly on ladys smock (cuckoo flower) flower (montage for differential focus)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 19 May 2014
at 17:27 Image of day on 23 Jul 2014
A pair of Orange-tip butterflies courting in the evening sunshine.
A mostly accurate montage to convey the action as they spiraled upwards.
Ref: 20140723_df2_20140519_1727_175+187-189 orange-tip butterfly pair courting in rising flight selected 1-4 of 4 (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Apr 2017
at 12:32 Image of day on 21 Jun 2017
The Orange-tip butterfly season seems have lasted unusually well this year. This
is the head-on view of a male perched on a fallen Dandelion 'clock'. You can see
the orange glow between the wing tips.
Ref: 20170621_df3_20170428_1232_037 orange-tip butterfly viewed head-on on dandelion clock (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Apr 2017
at 12:34 Image of day on 21 Jun 2017
Here a male orange-tip with wings spread in the sunshine. You can just see the
wonderful green tracery showing through from the other side of his rear wings.
Ref: 20170621_df3_20170428_1234_049 orange-tip butterfly with wings spread(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 11 Aug 2021
at 10:51 Image of day on 21 Sep 2021
Some of the Oxford Ragwort has timed it's growth to make a decent flowerhead
before the Cinnabar Caterpillars ravage the plant!
The Gatekeeper butterfly you see, not badly disguised here, is the dominant
brown butterfly at the moment.
Ref: 20210921_d73_20210811_1051_022 oxford ragwort flowers with gatekeeper butterfly(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Jul 2006
at 12:39 Image of day on 05 Aug 2006
Teasels are now spikily rampant and many are flowering in their
unusual rings of florets. The Painted Lady is a summer visitor
that have only been common here in the last few years.
Here two are refuelling on the nectar.
Ref: 20060805_d10_20060724_1239_027 2 painted lady butterflies on teasel(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Jun 2019
at 17:35 Image of day on 16 Aug 2019
Here is a Painted Lady Butterfly also choosing one of thousands of Privet heads
for a feed. This one has a slightly damaged edge to the wing - quite normal
damage from brushing on foliage. We have always felt that the name 'Painted
Lady' is a bit strong for this subtly coloured creature.
Ref: 20190816_df5_20190627_1735_122 painted lady butterfly feeding on privet flowers(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jun 2019
at 17:39 Image of day on 16 Aug 2019
Another slightly less wing edged damaged Painted Lady Butterfly gives us a
lovely view of her underwings as she feeds through her proboscis forming a
gentle bend lower right.
Ref: 20190816_df5_20190628_1739_296 painted lady butterfly feeding on privet flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg
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