I was very pleased to come across this butterfly, the common birdwing, recently. Although it is fairly common, I had not had a chance to try and photograph it before. There are at least 25 subspecies of Troides helena, but because of the location, in northern Thailand, this is almost certainly, Troides helena cerberus (C.…
When landlords turn the drunken beeOut of the foxglove’s door,When butterflies renounce their drams,I shall but drink the more! (Poem 51: ‘I taste a liquor never brewed’ quoted from The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson, Wordsworth Poetry Library) from a blog called Emily Dickinson: Intoxicated by Life. I have blogged before about Red Admirals feeding on…
I came across this little female Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) butterfly, depositing her eggs on bramble buds on 16th June 2019 in Galicia, Spain. It possible that she was a second generation butterfly, as the climate in NW Spain is mild and she was ovipositing on a typical second generation host plant, Rubus fruticosus. Unfortunately,…
Just as you think the butterfly season is coming to an end, some second generation individuals appear. I was very happy to come across these second brood Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) butterflies in Bedfordshire on 13 Aug 2019. In 1993, the Brown Argus was described as a scarce or local species, which had declined by…
Courtship in pierid butterflies, such as brimstones, is usually fairly brief, but can nevertheless, feature some interesting interactions. I happened across a short, unsuccessful courtship in this pair of common brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni) in NW Spain (Galicia). There are relatively few accounts of courtship in this species; however, Adrian Hoskins – informative as ever –…
This month (July), we have seen the appearance of many bright orange comma butterflies; the so-called, hutchinsoni form of Polygonia c-album. These lovely orange-coloured butterflies are the first brood to emerge, and are much paler – no so dark – than those that appear later in the summer. Their colours and markings are bright and…
What I love about macro photography is that it allows you to enter the world of the insect; at least for an instance. It gives us a glimpse of lives lived on a different scale from our own; smaller, shorter and faster existences. We can look at the face of a beetle, and wonder for…
Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) butterflies, must, I think, be one of the most common and widespread butterflies in Europe. I am surprised therefore, not to be able to find any photographs of courtship behaviour in this species. The excellent UK Butterflies website states that: “Courtship between male and female is brief. The male showers the…
The Rio Sor or Sor Mañón is a small, tranquil river which flows between the provinces of A Coruña and Lugo, in Galicia, NW Spain.It flows north into the Bay of Biscay. The Rio Sor is about 50 km long and it is possible to walk much of it (if not all of it, I’m…
I came across a pair of large skippers (Ochlodes sylvanus) joined in copula. The female usually carries the male in skippers, as shown below. The female is on top, basking in the sunshine, whilst the male remains hanging below her. They can fly like this, but only slowly and deliberately: vulnerable to predators. Copulation times…
