Butterfly Bokeh - _TNY_0253
This is a bit of a different kind of butterfly shot for me, but I really quite like it. This is a longwing butterfly known as the red postman (Heliconius erato) and I believe it's the subspecies H. e. cyrbia. Other names for this species include small postman, the red passion flower butterfly and the crimson-patched longwing.
These guys are typically found in Central and South America, but I caught this one at the Haga Ocean Butterfly House in Solna on the north side of Stockholm Sweden.
Since they have a strict no-flash policy, I had to settle for natural light, but the bokeh in this one makes it worth it, right?
The name "red passion butterfly" does not come from the butterfly being unusually passionat, but rather from Passiflora (ie passion flowers) being the host plant.
These species are involved in an evolutionary arms race with the various Passiflora species and the plants produce verious toxins to deter the butterflies. The coolest thing with this is that studies have showed that Passiflora nectar is known to produce aggressive behaviors among ants, wasps, and egg parasitoids - making them attack and destroy butterfly eggs, making them a kind of mercenary force.
Butterfly Bokeh - _TNY_0253
This is a bit of a different kind of butterfly shot for me, but I really quite like it. This is a longwing butterfly known as the red postman (Heliconius erato) and I believe it's the subspecies H. e. cyrbia. Other names for this species include small postman, the red passion flower butterfly and the crimson-patched longwing.
These guys are typically found in Central and South America, but I caught this one at the Haga Ocean Butterfly House in Solna on the north side of Stockholm Sweden.
Since they have a strict no-flash policy, I had to settle for natural light, but the bokeh in this one makes it worth it, right?
The name "red passion butterfly" does not come from the butterfly being unusually passionat, but rather from Passiflora (ie passion flowers) being the host plant.
These species are involved in an evolutionary arms race with the various Passiflora species and the plants produce verious toxins to deter the butterflies. The coolest thing with this is that studies have showed that Passiflora nectar is known to produce aggressive behaviors among ants, wasps, and egg parasitoids - making them attack and destroy butterfly eggs, making them a kind of mercenary force.