Polygonia C-Album

  

The Life of Animals | Polygonia C-Album | The Comma has a white marking on its underwings resembling a comma. The wings have a distinctive ragged edge, Apparently a cryptic form as the butterfly resembles a fallen leaf. The caterpillars are also cryptic, resembling a bird dropping. In the UK the larvae feed on hop, stinging nettles, elm, and black currants; in other parts of its distribution (eg, in Sweden) it also feeds on Sallow and birch.

The species survives the winter in the adult stage, and adults are of two forms. The Form That overwinters before reproducing has dark undersides of the wings, whereas the form That develops directly to sexual maturation has colured lighter wing undersides.
 

Inachis Io

  

The Life of Animals | Inachis Io | The European Peacock (Inachis io), more commonly known simply as the Peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe, temperate Asia as far east as Japan. The Peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. The Peacock butterfly has figured in research where the role of eye-spots as anti-predator mechanism has been investigated

In the British Isles, the butterfly is found in England, Scotland (including Orkney and Shetland), Wales and Ireland. The Peacock is expanding its range. The butterfly has a wingspan of 50 to 55 mm. The base-colour of the wings is a rusty red, and at each wingtip it bears a distinctive, black, blue and yellow eye-spot. The underside is a cryptically coloured dark-brown or black. 
 

It is a relatively common butterfly seen in many European parks and gardens. The Peacock male exhibits territorial behaviour, in many cases territories being selected en route of the females to oviposition sites.
 

The recorded foodplants of the European Peacock are Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Hop (Humulus lupulus) and the Small Nettle (Urtica urens) The adult butterflies drink nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, including buddleia, willows, dandelions, wild marjoram, danewort, hemp agrimony, and clover; they also utilize tree sap and rotten fruit.

Cethosia Cyane

 

The Life of Animals | Cethosia Cyane | Hind wing: three or four spots just beyond apex of cell, a subterminal row of spots and the termen broadly black, the last with a series of white lunules as on the fore wing. Underside variegated with red, white, pale blue, ochraceous and black; the terminal margins of both wings broadly black with white lunules as on the upperside; in the middle of each lunule a short white streak from the margin

cilia alternately black and white. Fore wing: the cell with transverse bands of red, blue and black; the base and disc below the cell red spotted with black, followed by pale blue, ochraceous and black; the white oblique band as on upperside, beyond it a transverse incomplete row of lanceolate white marks, with three black spots in each, followed by a subterminal ochraceous band paling inwardly

 

Antennae, head and thorax dusky brown; abdomen above tawny, beneath white. Similar to the male in markings, but the tawny ground colour replaced by pale greenish white, somewhat brownish on the upperside of fore wing, the extent of black on this wing larger.  Antennae, head and thorax dusky brown; abdomen dusky above, white beneath.
 

Greta Oto

  

The Life of Animals | Greta Oto | The wings are translucent, with a wingspan of 5.6 to 6.1 cm (2.2 to 2.4 in) Its most common English name is glasswinged butterfly, and its Spanish name is "espejitos", which means "little mirrors."

G. morgane oto visits common flowers like lantana, but prefers to lay its eggs on plants of the tropical Solanaceae genus Cestrum The green caterpillars feed on these toxic plants and are perhaps toxic to predators through secondary chemicals stored in their tissues

 caterpillar chemical extracts are unpalatable to Paraponera clavata ants  Adults are also assumed to be toxic but their toxicity mainly results from males feeding on flowers (e.g., Asteraceae) whose nectar contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Dryas Iulia

 

  

The Life of Animals | Dryas Iulia | Dryas iulia (often incorrectly spelled Julia) commonly called the Julia Butterfly, Julia Heliconian, or The Flame, is a species of brush-footed butterfly.

This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantanas (Lantana) and Shepherd's-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris), and the tears of caiman, the eye of which the butterfly irritates to produce tears Its caterpillars feeds on leaves of passion vines including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.

Morpho

  

The Life of Animals | Morpho | A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of butterflies in the genus Morpho. They are Neotropical butterflies found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America. Morphos range in wingspan from the 7.5 cm (3 inch) M. rhodopteron to the imposing 20 cm (8 inch) Sunset Morpho, M. hecuba. Many Morpho butterflies are colored in metallic, shimmering shades of blue and green.

These colors are not a result of pigmentation but are an example of iridescence: the microscopic scales covering the Morpho's wings reflect incident light repeatedly at successive layers, leading to interference effects that depend on both wavelength and angle of incidence/observance Thus the colors produced vary with viewing angle, however they are actually surprisingly uniform, perhaps due to the tetrahedral (diamond-like) structural arrangement of the scales or diffraction from overlying cell layers. The iridescent lamellae are only present on the dorsal side of their wings, leaving the ventral side brown.
 

While not all Morphos have iridescent coloration, they all have ocelli. In most species only the males are colorful, supporting the theory that the coloration is used for intrasexual communication between males. Some South American species are reportedly visible by the human eye up to one kilometre away. There also exist a number of white Morpho species, principal among these being M. catenarius and M. laertes. There is a nanotechnology concept based on the Morphos wings, that is being used to fight counterfeiters.  Morpho butterflies are forest dwellers but will venture into sunny clearings to warm themselves. Males are territorial and will chase any rivals. The people along the Rio Negro in Brazil once exploited the territorial habits of the Blue Morpho (M. menelaus) by luring them into clearings with bright blue decoys. The collected butterfly wings were used as embellishment for ceremonial masks. Morpho butterflies feed on the juices of fermenting fruit with which they may also be lured. The larvae hatch from pale green, dewdrop-like eggs. 

The commoner Blue Morphos are reared en masse in commercial breeding programmes. Papered specimens are sold with the abdomen removed to prevent its oily contents from staining the wings. Significant quantities of live specimens are exported as pupae from several neotropical countries for exhibition in butterfly houses.

Polyura Athamas

 

The Life of Animals | Polyura Athamas | Upperside black. Fore and hind wings with a discal broad transverse area from below vein 4 in fore wing to vein 2 on hind wing, a moderately large spot in interspace 5, a minute preapical dot beyond in interspace 6 on fore wing, and a subterrninal row of spots with two or three spots beyond them on the tornal angle of the hind wing, pale yellow, sometimes with an ochraceous, sometimes with a greenish tinge.

Underside with the discal transverse area and spot in interspace 5 as on the upperside; base and costal margin of the fore wing to apex, and base and dorsal margin of the hind wing broadly lilacine brown, on fore wing with two small black spots near base. Bordering the transverse discal area on the inner side, where it is margined with black lines, and above, is a broad chocolate carved band, continued more narrowly along the outer side of the discal area; beyond this on the fore wing is a concave series of dusky black lunules, on the hind wing the band itself is traversed by a line of obscure pale lunules ; finally on the hind wing there is a subterminal series of internally white-bordered black spots followed by an obscure ochraceous terminal line, and above the tornal angle a slender transverse black line from vein 1 to dorsal margin

In South India there are two well distinguished forms, the one corresponding to the spring form of North India, but with the band less broad and representing most likely the dry-season brood, respectively a form that inhabits dry districts, and the second having the band narrower and the underside brighter in tint. In Burma broad-banded, pale specimens occur also, besides narrow-banded ones
 

"Messrs. Rothschild and Jordan in their monograph of Charaxes and allied Prionopterous genera divide the forms of athamas occurring within our limits into two subspecies (1) E. athamas athamas, the Northern and Eastern race, with three seasonal forms; and (2) E. athamas agrarius, the Southern Indian and Ceylon race, with two seasonal forms.
 

Rama-rama Monarch

 

  

The Life of Animals | Rama-rama Monarch | The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus, subfamily: Danaidae - Milkweed butterfly family), is perhaps the most well-known of all North American butterflies. Like all insects, Monarch butterflies have 6 jointed legs, 3 body parts, a pair of antennae, compound eyes and an exoskeleton. Its wings are coloured an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.5 – 12.5 centimetres (3.34 inches – 4.92inches).

The photo on the left is the Monarch. Monarch butterflies are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. Monarch butterflies follow the same migration patterns every year. During migration, huge numbers of butterflies can be seen gathered together. Female Monarch butterflies deposit eggs for the next generation during these migrations. The length of these journeys exceeds the normal life span of most Monarch butterflies, which is less than 2 months for butterflies born in early summer. During 'diapause', butterflies fly to one of many overwintering sites.Monarch butterflies are one of the few insects capable of making transatlantic crossings.

Monarch butterflies can also be found in New Zealand during summer, but are absent the rest of the year. The mating period for the overwinter population occurs in the spring, just prior to migration from the overwintering sites. The Monarch butterfly goes through four radically different stages The eggs hatch, revealing worm-like larva, the caterpillars. The caterpillars consume their egg cases, then feed on milkweed. During the caterpillar stage, Monarch butterflies store energy in the form of fat and nutrients to carry them through the non-feeding pupa stage. 

The mature butterfly emerges after about two pupal weeks and hangs from the split chrysalis for several hours until its wings are dry. Finally, the monarch spreads its wings and then flies in a circle and away, to feed on a variety of flowers, including milkweed flowers, red clover and goldenrod. Monarch butterflies are foul-tasting and poisonous due to the presence of cardenolide aglycones in their bodies, which the caterpillars ingest as they feed on milkweed. Both forms advertise their unsuitability for eating with bright colours and areas of high contrast on the skin or wings. Monarch butterflies share this defence with the even more unpleasant-tasting Viceroy butterfly. The Monarch butterfly is the state insect of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, and Texas, and the state butterfly of Minnesota, Vermont, and West Virginia.
 

Lange's Metalmark

 

    

The Life of Animals | Lange's Metalmark  | Large-scale sand mining and industrial development fragmented the sand dune habitat until only a small portion of the original ecosystem remained. Nonnative grasses and vegetation encroached on the sand dunes to crowd the few remaining endangered plants. By the time the Antioch Dunes Refuge was established, only a few acres of remnant dune habitat supported the last natural populations of the endangered Antioch Dunes evening-primrose, Contra Costa wallflower, and Lange's metalmark.

Formerly a dynamic mosaic of open sand and vegetation, the dunes have slowly been stabilized by the removal of sand and by the introduction of plants which have spread over the sand and now prevent much sand movement.  Lange's metalmark (Apodemia mormo langei) is a brightly colored butterfly in the Riodinidae (metalmark) family. All the life stages of Lange's metalmark butterflies are found close to the larval food plant, naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum ssp. auriculatum). Lange's metalmark butterfly also use lupine (Lupinus albifrons) for mating. 

Lange's metalmark butterfly was historically restricted to sand dunes along the southern bank of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River, and is currently found only at Antioch Sand Dunes in Contra Costa County. Most of the habitat is now part of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. 

Riodinidae

 

  

The Life of Animals | Riodinidae | The Riodinidae (or metalmarks) are a family of butterflies. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world. Although mostly neotropical in distribution, the family is represented both in the New World and the Old World

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Like the lycaenids, the males of this family have reduced forelegs while the females have full-sized, fully functional forelegs. The costa of the hind wing is thickened out to the humeral angle and the humeral vein is short

Earlier, they were considered to be part of the now defunct family Erycinidae, whose species are divided between this family and the subfamily Libytheinae.
 

Gonepteryx Rhamni

 

  

The Life of Animals | Gonepteryx Rhamni | On the upper side the male is sulphur yellow and the female white with a greenish tinge but both have an orange spot in the centre of each wing. G. rhamni lives in Europe, North Africa and Asia as far east as Mongolia.

 

G. rhamni is one of the longest lived butterflies, living up to thirteen months, although most of this time is spent in hibernation. The eggs are laid singly on the leaves of either Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) or Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) – the only two food plants – and females will wander far and wide in search for these particular shrubs.

 

Upon emerging from the pupae, Brimstone butterflies spend the summer feeding on nectar to build up energy reserves for the winter and by the end of August they are already beginning their long sleep. They seek out evergreen scrub, a favourite being dense, old ivy growth. The brimstone usually hides until early spring, although a warm January day will occasionally wake an eager male.
 

Delias Eucharis

  

The Life of Animals | Delias Eucharis | Upperside is white. The forewings have the veins broadly black, this colour broadened triangularly at the termination of the veins, costal margin narrowly black; a broad black postdiscal transverse band from costa to dorsum sloped obliquely outwards from costa to vein 4, thence parallel to termen. Hind wing with the veins similar but for three-fourths of their length much more narrowly black; a postdiscal transverse black band as on the forewing but much narrower, curved and extended only between veins 2 and 6; beyond this the veins are more broadly black and this colour as on the forewing broadens out triangularly at the termination of the veins; the interspaces beyond the postdiscal black band pink, due to the vermilion coloration of the underside showing through.

 On the underside, the forewings are similar but the black edging to the veins much broader, the upper two interspaces beyond the postdiscal transverse band tinged with yellow. Hind wing: ground colour bright yellow, the veins and transverse postdiscal band as on the upperside but much more broadly black, the latter extended from the costa to vein 2; the interspaces between the veins beyond the postdiscal fascia with a series of broadly lanceolate or cone-shaped vermilion-red spots, each spot very narrowly edged with white; the basal portion of interspace 6 white, in contrast to the bright yellow of the ground-colour. Antenna black; head, thorax and abdomen white, the apical joint of the palpi black; the head and thorax with a mixture of black hairs that give these parts a grey-blue appearance.

Upper and undersides similar to those in the male, but the black edging to the veins and the postdiscal transverse bands on both fore and hind wings are much broader.The butterfly may be found wherever there are trees, even in towns and cities, flying high among the trees and visiting flowers.It rests with its wings closed exhibiting the brilliantly coloured underside.The Jezebel often flies high up in the canopy and usually comes lower down only to feed on nectar in flowers. 

Like other unpalatable butterflies the Common Jezebel is mimicked by Prioneris sita, the Painted Sawtooth. In the Painted Sawtooth these spots are very squarish whereas in the Common Jezebel they are more arrow head shaped. Caterpillars are yellow brown with a black head and have white tubercules from which long white hair arise. Two subdorsal rows of long white bristles springing from minute white tubercles; head, sides and back sparsely clothed with short white bristles: colour brown, head and feet black. Leaf after leaf is collectively devoured by this group till they pass through the first few instars of the larval stage. When disturbed, it drops off the leaf by a silken thread.Colour bright yellow; tubercles and a row of spots defining the wing-cases black.

Pieris Napi

  

Animal Eyes | Pieris Napi | The underside hind wings are pale yellow with the veins highlighted by black scales giving a greenish tint, hence Green-veined White. The eggs are laid singularly on a wide range of foodplants including Hedge mustard Sisybrium officinale Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata, Cuckoo flower Cardamine pratense, Water-cress Rorippa nastutium-aquaticum, Charlock Sinapis arvensis, Large bitter-cress Cardamine amara, wild cabbage Brassica oleracea and wild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum and so it is rarely a pest in gardens. It is often found feeding on the same plant as the Orange Tip but never competes for food because it only feeds on the leaves whereas the Orange Tip caterpillar feeds on the flowers and developing seed pods.

Pieris napi is found in damp, grassy places with some shade, forest edges, hedgerows, meadows and wooded river valleys. The generations vary with location, altitude and season. In southern Europe there are three or more partially overlapping generations from March to October.
 

The smell of this compound repels other males, thus ensuring the first male's paternity of the eggs—a form of chemical mate guarding.The adult male of this species has a distinctive odour that resembles lemon verbena.Some authorities consider Pieris napi to be a superspecies including the West Virginia White Butterfly , the Mustard White and the Dark-veined White.