Out of Hibernation
Peacocks (Aglais io) are one of just a handful of British butterflies that hibernate as an adult butterfly, emerging on the first warm days of early spring. I was high on the Peak District Moors today and must have seen at least a dozen Peacock butterflies. I presume they had hibernated in rock crevices among the millstone grit outcrops. This one was basking on dead bracken and was in surprisingly good condition considering it has emerged from its pupa last July, making it about 9 months old.
Peacocks have been assigned to the genus Aglais (which means beautiful), the same as the Small Tortoiseshell. It used to be in the genus Inachis, which was the title of Io, daughter of the King Inachus in Greek mythology. Io was beloved by Zeus, but his jealous wife Hera metamorphosed Io into a heifer and charged Argus to guard her. Argus had a hundred eyes so was super-vigilant, but he was lulled to sleep by music. Zeus had Argus slayed while he slept and Hera set his eyes on the tail of the Peacock (bird). But this is how the name io (and Inachis) became associated with the Peacock butterfly.
Out of Hibernation
Peacocks (Aglais io) are one of just a handful of British butterflies that hibernate as an adult butterfly, emerging on the first warm days of early spring. I was high on the Peak District Moors today and must have seen at least a dozen Peacock butterflies. I presume they had hibernated in rock crevices among the millstone grit outcrops. This one was basking on dead bracken and was in surprisingly good condition considering it has emerged from its pupa last July, making it about 9 months old.
Peacocks have been assigned to the genus Aglais (which means beautiful), the same as the Small Tortoiseshell. It used to be in the genus Inachis, which was the title of Io, daughter of the King Inachus in Greek mythology. Io was beloved by Zeus, but his jealous wife Hera metamorphosed Io into a heifer and charged Argus to guard her. Argus had a hundred eyes so was super-vigilant, but he was lulled to sleep by music. Zeus had Argus slayed while he slept and Hera set his eyes on the tail of the Peacock (bird). But this is how the name io (and Inachis) became associated with the Peacock butterfly.