Orange-Tip Butterrfly (Explored)
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS AND FAVS........ PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY PHOTOSTREAM, FOR GENERAL PHOTOS OF NATURE ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF WILDLIFE.
The sight of this little butterfly with its orange tip on its forewing is a sure sign that the warm sunnier days of spring have finally arrived. It is only the male which has this conspicuous orange tip and which spends most of the time madly fluttering around, seemingly in all directions, but usually along the margins of fields and woods, seeking out the more reclusive female, which resembles more a small white.
It is one of nature's little miracles. With a very limited food source, notably the cuckooflower and the garlic mustard, it has adopted to laying its eggs singly on each plant. In its struggle to survive, the larva typically eat other larvae or eggs on the same plant, and sometimes, to counter changing conditions, only emerge as butterflies every two years.
They are common throughout temperate climates in Europe, and are as widespread as far as Japan, often preferring damp grassland, where their food source is usually found.
The best time to photograph them is when the sun starts to shine again, when they spend more time on flowers refuelling.
Orange-Tip Butterrfly (Explored)
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS AND FAVS........ PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY PHOTOSTREAM, FOR GENERAL PHOTOS OF NATURE ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF WILDLIFE.
The sight of this little butterfly with its orange tip on its forewing is a sure sign that the warm sunnier days of spring have finally arrived. It is only the male which has this conspicuous orange tip and which spends most of the time madly fluttering around, seemingly in all directions, but usually along the margins of fields and woods, seeking out the more reclusive female, which resembles more a small white.
It is one of nature's little miracles. With a very limited food source, notably the cuckooflower and the garlic mustard, it has adopted to laying its eggs singly on each plant. In its struggle to survive, the larva typically eat other larvae or eggs on the same plant, and sometimes, to counter changing conditions, only emerge as butterflies every two years.
They are common throughout temperate climates in Europe, and are as widespread as far as Japan, often preferring damp grassland, where their food source is usually found.
The best time to photograph them is when the sun starts to shine again, when they spend more time on flowers refuelling.