Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Butterflies Page 24

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 01 Jun 2026 at 09:54 Image of day on 14 Jul 2026

BBC Springwatch seems to be 'going ape' over Painted Lady Butterflies this year.
It is nice to see them this year, but its a worry about the abnormal conditions that facilitated this event.

Ref: 20260714_r52_20260601_0954_003 painted lady butterfly on rough bark log(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2026 at 16:13 Image of day on 17 Aug 2026

Appearances of Painted Lady Butterflies continue like no other year we can remember. They mostly look rather 'tatty' now.

Ref: 20260817_r52_20260626_1613_149 painted lady butterfly with tatty wing edges(r+mb id@576).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 31 Mar 2025 at 15:37 Image of day on 12 May 2025

A Peacock Butterfly warming themselves on the warm metal.
This one has had an encounter with a bird, judging by the beak shaped notch out of the back of the right wing. It takes far more damage than this to effect their ability to fly.

Ref: 20250512_df3_20250331_1537_109 peacock butterfly (bird pecked right rear) on corrugated iron(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 13 May 2025 at 13:07 Image of day on 28 Jun 2025

A Peacock Butterfly approaches a Herb Robert flower to top up his energy supply.

Ref: 20250628_r70_20250513_1307_106 peacock butterfly about to feed from herb robert flower (crop 2)(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 23 Jun 2025 at 17:52 Image of day on 13 Aug 2025

An oblique view of a Peacock Butterfly feeding blackberry.

Ref: 20250813_d72_20250623_1752_032 peacock butterfly feeding on blackberry flower (crop 2)(r+mb id@1024).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 03 Jul 2025 at 11:02 Image of day on 15 Aug 2025

Elevenses - Peacock Butterfly style.

Ref: 20250815_d72_20250703_1102_007 peacock butterfly feeding on blackberry flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg

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