#spotted fritillary

[sitting-on-me-bum]

‘Spotted Fritillary’

by Tony North

Garden Photographer Of The Year Awards

[vandaliatraveler]

Hazy mid-summer day on the Sods, Part 2.

The planet's fantastic life energy reaches its peak in mid to late summer as the sun's precious light shrinks by the day and every living thing senses its time is running out. On the Plains of Dolly Sods, where the growing season is already compressed by the high elevation, plants compete for the swirling, buzzing masses of insects with their gaudy blooms and produce successive waves of berries to seed new generations. The drone of the insects carrying out their instinctive missions of renewal is constantly in your head as they dive and dart and skirt around you. You barely register as a distraction against the great drama playing out here - one whose stakes are survival, regeneration, salvation. I feel so privileged to have connected with this life force in the most intimate way, even for the few short years of my mayfly existence. I will die a happy man for having immersed myself in its lovely, purposeful chaos and becoming part of something much greater than myself.

[dansnaturepictures]

Five of my favourite flora and fauna photos I took in May 2024, five of my favourite landscape photos I took in May 2024 and month summary

The photos are of; Red Grouse at Lochindorb, Red Squirrel at Dell Woods, Marsh Fritillary at Magdalen Hill, Azure Damselfly and sorrel at Lakeside Country Park, views at Strathdearn and Cairn Gorm, sunset at home and views at Magdalen Hill and Pig Bush in the New Forest.

May was another epic, packed and brilliant wildlife watching and photo month for me. Beginning in the midst of our sensational Scotland adventure many of the bird highlights of the holiday were about to unfold in May's early days seeing Black Grouse, precious Dipper, wonderful Golden Eagle, exquisite summer plumage Slavonian Grebe and Ring Ouzel with stars of the trip first seen inside April on the trip and before that enjoyed again such as White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, smashing views of stunning summer plumage Black-throated Diver, Pink-footed Geese, Red Grouse, Common Sandpiper, Goldeneye, Redstart and Willow Warbler. It was very busy for birds when we returned home to Hampshire this month with Swifts at a few locations, Garganey, Reed Warbler, Whimbrel, Garden Warbler, Hobby, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Roseate Tern and valuable chances to see Stone Curlew again on a guided walk added to my year list mixing migratory species I needed to see and stardust birds; another epitomising this the amazing times I saw Cuckoos this month in Hampshire a bird I heard so much throughout the Scotland trip it's always a privilege to see them and I had some breathtaking experiences with them. Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Sedge Warbler, Great Crested Grebes, Moorhen including chicks seen well with Greylag and Canada Goose goslings enjoyed a lot on patch at Lakeside Country Park and Red Kite were other stars across the month in what was a fantastic month of birds.

May is one of my busiest months of the year as I've still got plenty of bird species to look for and the butterfly season really gets going. It was an incredible butterfly month for me with dynamic and colourful species seen including Large White, Dingy Skipper, Duke of Burgundy, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Grizzled Skipper, Painted Lady, Small Heath, Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Marsh Fritillary, Small Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, quite early Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood getting my butterfly year into a great place. It was a great moth month too with loads of species seen including The Streamer, Garden Carpet, Mint moth, Burnet Companion, Brown Silver-line, Common Heath, Common Carpet, Pale Prominent, Yellow Shells, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer, elegant Mother Shiptons, Speckled Yellow, Silver Y and Five-spot Burnet seen.

It was a top dragonfly and damselfly month with some super species seen to get me started including Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Hairy Dragonfly and Broad-bodied Chaser and thrilling moments seeing my first ever Downy Emerald at Bentley Wood. It was a real awakening of beetles for me this month with Violet Oil beetle, Green Tiger beetle and Dor beetle seen in Scotland and at Bentley Wood for the green tiger and many Swollen-thighed beetles and Red-headed Cardinal beetles, Oedemera lurida, Cantharis rustica, Cryptocephalus aureolus, Common Malachite, Woodland Dor beetle, Black-striped Longhorn beetle and Garden Chafer enjoyed once home. It was a really good mammal month with Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Brown Hare (seen in Hampshire too) and Stoat seen in Scotland, Roe Deers seen nicely across the month, Fallow Deer and New Forest Pony foals and cattle at Lakeside charming seasonal sights.

It was a wonderful month of plants again with special flower species seen as they took over meadows and other areas including wood sorrel, coltsfoot, oxeye daisies, yellow rattle, buttercups, greater celandine, spurge, early purple orchid, common twayblade, white helloborine, common spotted orchid, burnt-tip orchids, speedwell, forget-me-not, yellow iris, eyebright, lousewort, wood avens, meadow crane's-bill, grass vetchling, foxgloves, crimson clover, red clover, white clover, black and spotted medick, comfrey, cuckooflower, tormentil, bugle, yellow pimpernel, silverweed cinquefoil, sainfoin, fox-and-cubs, mignonette, common rock-rose, hemlock water-dropwort and bird's-foot trefoil. I took in some mesmerising views and sky scenes this month. Have a good June all.

[professionalunprofessional]

An Asian Lady Beetle and Gulf Fritillary larvae!

[lynnswirld]

[rabbitcruiser]

Learn About Butterflies Day

In keeping with the spirit of Learn About Butterflies Day, celebrate by learning a little more about the wide range of butterflies. With over 20,000 types of butterflies worldwide today is the perfect day to learn about butterflies. Their wing spans can range from ½ inch to 11 inches. Did you know that in their adult stage butterflies can live from a week up to a year, depending on the species? Many butterflies migrate over long distances the most famous migrations are those of the Monarch butterfly from Mexico to the northern USA and southern Canada, a distance of about 2500 to 3000 miles. That’s a lot of air miles!

If you need some inspiration about how to celebrate, here are five ideas for you to try:

1. Start a butterfly garden.

One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your yard is to plant nectar-producing flowers that have red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple blossoms. Plant them in a sunny spot in a group so they grow in clusters.

2. Make a butterfly snack.

Fresh fruit is the perfect springtime snack, so use your imagination to whip up a fruity butterfly treat. You can also put a bit of fruit out in your garden for the butterflies to enjoy.

3. Learn something you didn’t know about butterflies.

Did you know that a butterfly can’t fly if its body temperature falls below 86°F? Or that they drink the tears of turtles? And they use their feet to taste?

4. Get crafty.

Grab some card, pipe cleaners and clothes peg and some pom-poms and here’s how you create your own butterfly:

Decorate some card with markers and then spray it with water to create its wings.

Once it dries, wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the card.

Glue pom-poms onto the clothespin and clip the clothespin to the cards.

Bend the pipe cleaner to make the antennae.

5. Visit your local zoo.

If in doubt learn from the experts. Heading to your local zoo and talking to the keepers that look after these amazing creatures from caterpillar to larvae and then to butterfly. They will be able to show you just how amazing these creatures are.

Source

Observed annually, March 14th is National Learn About Butterflies Day.  Spring and summer are just right around the corner, so it is a good time to take a few minutes and learn something new about butterflies and appreciate their beauty.

Butterflies need our help to survive as they rely on flowers and other natural sources for survival.  We can help them by planting more flowers.

There are more than 20,000 types of butterflies worldwide

Their wing spans can range from ½ inch to 11 inches.

Butterflies in their adult stage can live from a week to nearly a year, depending on the species.

Many butterflies migrate over long distances.  Particularly famous migrations are those of the Monarch butterfly from Mexico to the northern USA and southern Canada, a distance of about 2500 to 3000 miles.

Source

[hellsitegenetics]

String identified: "t ' ' t c a a cc gc" t ca t aa a . a a t : " t , !"

Closest match: Melitaea interrupta genome assembly, chromosome: 14 Common name: Caucasian Spotted Fritillary

(image source)

"the 'power of love' trope is such an overused and cliche gimmick" i do not care i will love it always and forever. love prevails and explodes the enemy

[finneasbug]

from yesterday's hike !

(State College, PA 8-18-24)

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Fritter Away with the Mormon Fritillary

The Mormon fritillary (Speyeria mormonia) is a common species of butterfly found throughout western North America. There are multiple subspecies distributed throughout its range, which extends from northern Canada to the southern United States, following the Rocky Mountain range. They are found in a variety of habitats, including alpine grasslands, meadows, and sparse pine forests.

Larval S. mormonia are almost entirely dependent on violets for food, while adults will also feed on milkweeds, thistles, and daisies, as well as mud puddles and animal waste. Birds, rodents, lizards, frogs, spiders, and mantids are all common predators of both caterpillar and adult Mormon fritillaries.

Mating for the Mormon fritillary occurs in mid to late summer. Males regularly search open areas for available females, and following an encounter females lay their fertilized eggs in leaf litter near patches of violets. After about 10 days the eggs hatch, but rather than feeding the caterpillars enter a period of hibernation that lasts throughout the winter. Come spring, they emerge and feed on their host plant for just over a month. Pupation takes 10-12 days, after which they emerge as fully mature adults. In the wild, individuals can live up to 4 years.

S. mormonia are rather small, but brightly colored butterflies. The wingspan for females ranges from 25-27mm (0.98-1.06 in), while males are slightly smaller at 23-26mm (0.9-1.02 in). The top wings of both sexes are orange with black spotting, while the undersides are lighter yellow with white spots, and the body is covered in brown or tan fur.

Conservation status: The Mormon fritillary has not been evaluated by the IUCN, but populations are generally considered to be stable across the US. Its most common threat is the disappearance of its host flower species.

Want to request some art or uncharismatic facts? Just send me proof of donation of any amount to any of the fundraisers on this list, or a Palestinian organization of your choice!

Photos

John Lane

Mark Leppin

David Inouye

[nvzblartdump]

For Our Lord Sheogorath, without Whom all Thought would be linear and all Feeling would be fleeting - I have spent. Five. Months. on this art of what I can only call 'Sheogorath Phase 2'. Not continuously, because I was taking breaks to avoid going crazy, but you can see by the sheer amount of unique patterns and level of detail (all of which was done by hand, though I did copy my work over a couple times once I got the necessary bits of the wing line art done + simplified matters for the foreground/background butterflies) that this was a labor of love... and that I was going to go full in on my love of patchwork coats, given that I haven't made any Sixth Doctor art for a long time now. It took almost a month and a half to get just the rough design of the wings functional.

Butterflies referenced for the wings - Alpine Black Swallowtail, American Swallowtail, Monarch Butterfly, Spotted Fritillary, Scarlet Mormon Butterfly, Red Spotted Purple (which is more of a black + blue with a touch of orange), Cairns birdwing, Blue clipper, Painted beauty... and that's even before we get into the dragonflies/damsel flies that inspired the work on those parts of the wings, because I couldn't keep them all straight beyond the Blue Dazzler Damselfly.

[herpsandbirds]

Spotted or Red-banded Fritillary (Melitea didyma), family Nymphalidae, Calabria, Italy

photograph by Savino Oppedisano 

[dansnaturepictures]

04/06/2023-Bentley Wood and home 

Photos taken today in this set: 1. One of a few petite and colourful common spotted orchids I enjoyed on a great walk here today. 2. Five-spot Burnet moth on ragged robin, I added this one of my favourite moths and one of the first I ever saw to my year list today. 3 and 7. Views on another stunning day in these rich emerald woods. 4 and 10. Fabulous foxgloves, one of my favourite and longest known flowers. A signpost to summer for me and always such a colourful and unique one to see so I was very happy to see them here a good spot for them after seeing a few around of late. 5. One of a few female Broad-bodied Chasers I was thrilled to see today, excellent dragonflies. 6. A bit of flowering that caught my eye and then I saw it had a Grammoptera ruficornis and Black-spotted Longhorn beetle on it, two new beetle species for me which I was fascinated to find. I do love beetles. 8. Lovely flowers on the balcony before we left. 9. Woodpigeons and Collared Doves on the roof out the back.

Thanks to pointers from some other butterfly observers which we were thankful for in the eastern clearing we just caught sight of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary with Pearl-bordered Fritillaries seen again too, the former another species to add to my butterfly year list this weekend which was great and it was good to see them both. Other key species seen at Bentley Wood were fine views of a dainty Green-veined White, rich Red Admiral, Brimstone, Small Heath seen well including chasing a fritillary, Speckled Wood, Speckled Yellow moth and an eyecatching Green Tiger beetle flying around on a path. Two Pied Wagtails a species perhaps seen for the first time here by me, a loudly singing Chaffinch, Dunnock, beautifully singing Blackcap, Song Thrush and Blackbird were bird highlights on the walk. Spurge, tormentil, herb-Robert, speedwell, daisy, oxeye daisy and my first marsh bedstraw of the year one I was pleased to see today and learn here last year were other key flowers seen today. I enjoyed a Lesser Black-backed Gull out the front and House Sparrow out the back tonight and I believe a Muntjac Deer seen on the journey. 

[sebastienblommephotography]

Fourmi sous cloche 📷 @sebastien_blomme 🇫🇷 Alors que je ne pensais plus en photographier, une dernière fritillaire m'attendais sur ma prairie préférée. Et comme un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul, j'ai repéré cette petite fourmi en train de grimper sur la belle ! Un joli duo pour une dernière. 🇬🇧 While I no longer thought to photograph any more, a last fritillary was waiting for me on my favorite meadow. And as one good news never comes alone, I spotted this little ant climbing on the flower ! A nice duo for one last picture. https://ift.tt/gozQKwh

[rabbitcruiser]

Learn About Butterflies Day

In keeping with the spirit of Learn About Butterflies Day, celebrate by learning a little more about the wide range of butterflies. With over 20,000 types of butterflies worldwide today is the perfect day to learn about butterflies. Their wing spans can range from ½ inch to 11 inches. Did you know that in their adult stage butterflies can live from a week up to a year, depending on the species? Many butterflies migrate over long distances the most famous migrations are those of the Monarch butterfly from Mexico to the northern USA and southern Canada, a distance of about 2500 to 3000 miles. That’s a lot of air miles!

If you need some inspiration about how to celebrate, here are five ideas for you to try:

1. Start a butterfly garden.

One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your yard is to plant nectar-producing flowers that have red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple blossoms. Plant them in a sunny spot in a group so they grow in clusters.

2. Make a butterfly snack.

Fresh fruit is the perfect springtime snack, so use your imagination to whip up a fruity butterfly treat. You can also put a bit of fruit out in your garden for the butterflies to enjoy.

3. Learn something you didn’t know about butterflies.

Did you know that a butterfly can’t fly if its body temperature falls below 86°F? Or that they drink the tears of turtles? And they use their feet to taste?

4. Get crafty.

Grab some card, pipe cleaners and clothes peg and some pom-poms and here’s how you create your own butterfly:

Decorate some card with markers and then spray it with water to create its wings.

Once it dries, wrap a pipe cleaner around the middle of the card.

Glue pom-poms onto the clothespin and clip the clothespin to the cards.

Bend the pipe cleaner to make the antennae.

5. Visit your local zoo.

If in doubt learn from the experts. Heading to your local zoo and talking to the keepers that look after these amazing creatures from caterpillar to larvae and then to butterfly. They will be able to show you just how amazing these creatures are.

Source

Observed annually, March 14th is National Learn About Butterflies Day.  Spring and summer are just right around the corner, so it is a good time to take a few minutes and learn something new about butterflies and appreciate their beauty.

Butterflies need our help to survive as they rely on flowers and other natural sources for survival.  We can help them by planting more flowers.

There are more than 20,000 types of butterflies worldwide

Their wing spans can range from ½ inch to 11 inches.

Butterflies in their adult stage can live from a week to nearly a year, depending on the species.

Many butterflies migrate over long distances.  Particularly famous migrations are those of the Monarch butterfly from Mexico to the northern USA and southern Canada, a distance of about 2500 to 3000 miles.

Source

[outofangband]

Butterflies and moths of Doriath

Flora, fauna, geography and environment Masterlist

As always I included world building notes at the bottom so it’s not just a list of species

There are hundreds of species of butterflies found throughout the region of Doriath. Though Tolkien abandoned the idea that butterflies, all originated in the Nan Tathren, which was written in the book of lost tales, I do like to headcanon that this remained a legend or folktale in universe

Note: there are so many species of insects, this unfortunately cannot be a complete list

Primarily Neldoreth: orange tip (outskirts), elm autumn moth, Aglia tau, silver washed fritillary, dotted border moth, brown tail moth, comma butterfly

Primarily Nivrim: Checkered skipper, purple hairstreak (found in Region too), green hair streak, large copper, white prominent moth, purple emperor, large tortoiseshell

Primarily Region: Holly blue, northern blue, oak lantern moth, bird cherry ermine moth, blotched emerald moth

Throughout Doriath: ghost moth, wood white, cranberry blue, green longhorn moth, Luna moth, peacock butterfly, ghost moth, lilac leafminer moth, paper moth, white Pearl moth, red admiral, Heath fritillary, light emerald moth

Forest edges and clearings: short tailed blue, pea blue, purple edged copper, small copper, speckled wood, green hairstreak, wal brown, scarce swallowtail, clouded Apollo, blue spot hairstreak, twin spot fritillary, Julia,

World building notes

-Butterflies and moths, as a whole are associated among the Sindar with transformation and cycles of life as they are in many cultures. They are also symbols of abundance, color and precision/agility. Different species and varieties will have more specific connotations, however

-Arthórien has rare, even rainforest butterflies due to the difference in temperature and rainfall. I will make a separate post for its butterflies!

-The gardens of Menengroth also have several species of rare butterflies not found elsewhere in Doriath. These are nurtured by Melian’s power.

-ghost moths are associated with spring and summer for their bright colors and emergence in warmer weather. Insects and flora have had a large influence on color and pigmentation in Sindarin practices, both as inspiration and material.

There are even practices of safely collecting the dust and pollen that collect on the wings and legs of insects; it is immensely time consuming and precise.

-Orange tips can be found on the sigils of certain Doriath nobles. Their image is sometimes used in Doriathrim fashion, especially in jewel and hair pieces made from wood or metal. Alder bark is typically used to create the orange color

It was from these species among others that pollination was originally studied by the Sindar of Doriath.

-The purple hairstreak is associated with twilight and the darker reaches of the forest. This is primarily for its color as like most species of its family, they tend to emerge mainly on sunny days. They feed mostly on oak trees. The name for this species in Ilkorin translates to butterfly of twilight.

Their almost shadow like appearance in flight makes them a favorite for artists who make prints and illustrate naturalist work!

-Wood whites are often associated with niphredil both for their color and their habitat.

Note: I always imagine Niënor wearing a hair piece or embroidery with this species during her time in Doriath

-Luna moths are highly associated with Melian and with Lórien. They symbolize night, dream, and desire and appear as motifs in a lot of later Sindar poetry and art

[wingsoffirenames]

SilkWing Names - Letter A

Ace (As in the Indian Ace/Ceylon Ace butterfly.) Achemon (As in the Achemon Sphinx moth.) Acmon (As in the Acmon Blue butterfly.) Acraga (A genus of moths.) Actias (A genus of moths.) Adonis (As in the Adonis Blue butterfly.) Aethes (A genus of moths.) Agathina (As in the Agathina Emperor butterfly.) Agavus (As in the Agavus Cattleheart butterfly.) Agrias (A small genus of butterflies.) Aguna (A genus of butterflies.) Alexandra (As in the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, the largest butterfly in the world.) Alexanor (The Alexanor butterfly.) Alianthus (As in the Alianthus webworm moth.) Amber (As in the Amber phantom butterfly.) Amberwing (The Amberwing butterfly.) Anastrus (A genus of skippers- a group of butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.) Angle (As in the Angle shades moth.) Anise (As in the Anise swallowtail butterfly.) Annulet (The Annulet moth, sometimes also known as the Scottish annulet.) Antenna (Either of a pair of long, thin sensory appendages on the heads of insects.) Antiochus (As in the Antiochus longwing butterfly.) Apatura (A genus of butterflies commonly known as emperors.) Apaturina (A monotypic genus of butterflies, containing only the Turquoise emperor.) Apefly (A small species of butterfly.) Aphrodite (As in the Aphrodite fritillary butterfly.) Apodemia (A genus of metalmark butterflies.) Apollo (A type of butterfly.) Apricot (As in the apricot sulfur butterfly.) Archduke (A genus of butterflies.) Arctic (As in the Arctic Katahdin butterfly.) Arctiini (A tribe of tiger moths.) Arctiinae (A large and diverse subfamily of moths.) Arctiites (An extinct monotypic moth genus.) Argent (As in the Argent and sable moth.) Argus (As in the Meadow argus butterfly.) Armyworm (The caterpillars of some members of two different moth genera.) Arrowhead (As in the Arrowhead blue butterfly.) Arthemis (As in Limenitis arthemis, the scientific name of the red-spotted purple or white admiral butterfly.) Ashworth (As in the Ashworth's rustic moth.) Ashen (As in the Ashen moth, also known as the Yellowtail moth.) Atlas (As in the Atlas moth.) Atropos (As in the Acherontia atropos, scientific name of the African death's-head hawkmoth. Acherontia can work as well.) Attacus (A genus of moths. Also part of the scientific name for the Atlas moth, Attacus atlas.) Azure (A bright blue color.)