Return to moorhen home page

Return to section index


Image-of-the-Day by Subject


Butterflies Page 21

Image Taken on 08 Aug 2009 at 10:46    Image of day on 23 Sep 2009

This painted lady dipped into successive florets (single flowers in a group) on a teasel, dipping into 1 a couple of times - it may be more random than it looks. Anyway, in a single sequence of 3 seconds here are the dips into 3 little fuel stores.


Ref: 20090923_cf1_20090808_1046_419+430+444 painted lady butterfly feeding on successive teasel florets @ 20fps 1+12+26 of 50 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg


Image Taken on 27 Jul 2014 at 12:42    Image of day on 05 Oct 2014

A painted Lady Butterfly feeding on a Teasel flower head.
"We didn't see one of those last year" we said.
We looked in our database and we found that it has been not 1 but 4 years - last recorded in 2009.



Ref: 20141005_df2_20140727_1242_199 painted lady butterfly feeding on teasel flowers (1st of 2014 - not seen since 2009) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Aug 2019 at 15:49    Image of day on 23 Sep 2019

Many years we don't see Painted Lady Butterflies at all, but this year has been 'bumper'. This one on Teasel (where we are mostly seeing them) looks so delicate when perched above the spikes.


Ref: 20190923_df3_20190802_1549_141 painted lady butterfly feeding on teasel flowers 3 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Aug 2015 at 13:52    Image of day on 05 Oct 2015

Our first sighting of a Painted Lady Butterfly this year, and in fact our first record at all since a large influx in 2009.


Ref: 20151005_da1_20150802_1352_467+1240+273_ft1 painted lady butterfly in flight + thistle flower (montage))(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Jul 2009 at 10:37    Image of day on 23 Aug 2009

After a years absence we are seeing the migrant painted lady butterfly this year. Most are rather tatty and faded but this individual was still in good condition. The Soldier Beetles on the thistle spent all 45 minutes of the photo-shoot mating in happy oblivion!


Ref: 20090823_da1_20090714_1037_075+1101_217 ft1 painted lady butterfly in flight with small thistle & soldier beetles (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Aug 2015 at 09:53    Image of day on 10 Oct 2015

Proboscis maneuvering to a new flower on this nearly spent Teasel, a painted Lady Butterfly replenishes the overnight fast.


Ref: 20151010_df3_20150807_0953_026 painted lady butterfly moving proboscis between teasel flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 30 Jul 2009 at 10:02    Image of day on 05 Sep 2009

Painted lady butterfly out before the dew has dried sunning itself to warm up prior to a busy day feeding at assorted wild and cultivated flowers.


Ref: 20090905_db1_20090730_1002_020 painted lady butterfly on dew-wet grass(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Jun 2017 at 08:21    Image of day on 11 Aug 2017

On the same Privet hedge we spotted this single Painted Lady Butterfly.


Ref: 20170811_df3_20170617_0821_065 painted lady butterfly on privet flowers (at farm entrance)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jul 2014 at 10:16    Image of day on 27 Sep 2014

2014 has been a good year for Peacock butterflies, with at least 20 feeding in the meadow on sunny days.


Ref: 20140927_df2_20140722_1016_174 3 peacock butterflies feeding on 3 teasel heads (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jul 2014 at 10:15    Image of day on 27 Sep 2014

The Peacock butterflies also feed en-masse on Teasel flowers. Here are 2 sharing either side of a single Teasel head.


Ref: 20140927_df2_20140722_1015_169 2 peacock butterflies feeding on single teasel head (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 26 Jul 2023 at 12:56    Image of day on 16 Sep 2023

We had begun to think that this year was a disaster for our normally healthy population of Peacock Butterflies, but suddenly there a 'a few' about.
The early start of the season seems to have had quite the opposite effect here on this species.


Ref: 20230916_df3_20230726_1256_108 2 peacock butterflies on single thistle head(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Mar 2022 at 13:06    Image of day on 22 Apr 2022

Peacock Butterflies have emerged from their winter torpor and need to get going with mating to get the next generation underway.


Ref: 20220422_df3_20220322_1306_263 peacock butterfly (overwintered) pair courting in may blossom)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Mar 2022 at 13:07    Image of day on 22 Apr 2022

Peacock Butterflies have almost black underside to their wings. You can just see the tip of the top of the wing at the left of the lower insect. They flew into impenetrable brambles before we could see them actually mating.


Ref: 20220422_df3_20220322_1307_283 peacock butterfly (overwintered) pair courting in may blossom)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Mar 2023 at 10:53    Image of day on 28 Apr 2023

An overwintered Peacock Butterfly is enjoying some of the early blossom. The wings are a bit tatty from what looks like multiple bird pecks, but that won't stop this butterfly completing their life cycle to make eggs for the next generation. Its a fragile existence isn't it?


Ref: 20230428_df3_20230322_1053_046 peacock butterfly (tatty overwintered) feeding on hedge blossom(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 05 Apr 2024 at 15:31    Image of day on 01 May 2024

Our first definite Peacock Butterfly sighting this year. Lots of early season insects are attracted to this (sometimes) sun-warmed sheet of corrugated iron.


Ref: 20240501_df3_20240405_1531_066 peacock butterfly - 1st of 2024(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jul 2011 at 10:12    Image of day on 01 Sep 2011

This Peacock butterfly was repeatedly irritated by the hover-flies and kept flicking it's wings when they got close.


Ref: 20110901_df1_20110722_1012_042 peacock butterfly and 4 hover-flies on perennial sow-thistle (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 18 Jul 2022 at 08:03    Image of day on 03 Sep 2022

This was at 8 a.m. on the first day of the heat-wave - the morning was already pleasantly warm - a portent of the events to come. Many of the normally mid-day visitors were already out making the most of this atypical weather. Here a Peacock Butterfly has the proboscis in a flower hidden by the one closest to the camera.


Ref: 20220903_d73_20220718_0803_007 peacock butterfly feeding from great willow herb flower(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jul 2017 at 12:40    Image of day on 05 Sep 2017

A few Peacock butterflies are appearing - most of the butterflies share our proliferation of flowering teasels. The underside of the wings nearest to us is in fact very dark, but the sunlight is showing us the pattern on the top of same wings shining through.


Ref: 20170905_df3_20170722_1240_013 peacock butterfly feeding from teasel (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 02 Jun 2024 at 15:11    Image of day on 30 Jun 2024

A Peacock Butterfly feeding on one of the newly opened Blackberry flowers.
The colourful top of the wing is very obvious.
The bottoms of the other pair of wings appear almost black when top lit, but here the sun is shining through the wings creating a dark echo of the top of wing's colours.


Ref: 20240630_r70_20240602_1511_006 peacock butterfly feeding on blackberry flower(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 04 Apr 2021 at 15:43    Image of day on 03 May 2021

This Peacock Butterfly awake after overwintering is in quite good condition for a 6 month hibernation. Nevertheless she has some bird peck damage to the left wing.


Ref: 20210503_d73_20210404_1543_118 peacock butterfly feeding on blackthorn blossom(r+mb id@576).jpg


Backwards

Forwards

 

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:-

Mail Us