What Colour is a Peacock? - _TNY_7896
Ask most anybody what the colour of a peacock butterfly (Aglais io), also known as the European Peacock, and pretty much all of them will say it is bright red and maybe add that it has blue and white eye spots on the wings.
This species belong to the sub-family Nymphalini - who hibernate through the winter as imago (ie in adult form). Now, obviously being bright red might work during the summer, but when hibernating it is much better to stay inconspicuous so the peacock butterfly does this by having the ventral side of the wings in this brown/black colour which resembles bark on a tree (and keep their wings folded when sleeping).
This shot was taken in the middle of August so this one was busy feeding on a false spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) using that incredibly handy proboscis that butterflies have.
What Colour is a Peacock? - _TNY_7896
Ask most anybody what the colour of a peacock butterfly (Aglais io), also known as the European Peacock, and pretty much all of them will say it is bright red and maybe add that it has blue and white eye spots on the wings.
This species belong to the sub-family Nymphalini - who hibernate through the winter as imago (ie in adult form). Now, obviously being bright red might work during the summer, but when hibernating it is much better to stay inconspicuous so the peacock butterfly does this by having the ventral side of the wings in this brown/black colour which resembles bark on a tree (and keep their wings folded when sleeping).
This shot was taken in the middle of August so this one was busy feeding on a false spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) using that incredibly handy proboscis that butterflies have.