|
Maiden Erlegh Lakes
Maiden Erlegh Lakes is a Local Nature Reserve Earley, a suburb of Reading in Berkshire. It is owned and managed by Earley Town Council. Geography and site The nature reserve consists of areas of ancient and secondary woodland, grassland, a large lake, a brook, an old woodland pond and surrounding wetland habitat. The reserve supports a large amount of wildlife including over a 100 species of butterflies and moths, more than 50 species of birds, 50 species of fungi and over 20 species of trees. The site features a lake which is 2.4 hectares in area and up to 2 meters deep. The lake features two islands, which birds use as nesting places. The reserve features woodlands that contain a small pond which is the last remaining remnant of a second lake that used to occupy much of this copse area. On the south side of the lake is more woodland, plus a wildflower meadow and butterfly garden. Features On the island within the lake known as Swan Island a statue made out of a tree that h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Blue
The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with a black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots. Taxonomy and phylogeny This species was first described by Siegmund Adrian von Rottemburg in 1775. Vernacular names that have been given to ''P. icarus'' include little blew argus, blew argus, mixed argus, selvedg’d argus, ultramarine blue, caerulean butterfly, and alexis. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''P. i. icarus'' (Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia) * ''P. i. mariscolore'' ( Kane, 1893) (Ireland) * ''P. i. fuchsi'' ( Sheljuzhko, 1928) (South Siberia, Transbaikalia) * ''P. i. omelkoi'' Dubatolov & Korshunov, 199 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lycaena Phlaeas
''Lycaena phlaeas'', the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name ''phlaeas'' is said to be derived either from the Greek (''phlégo''), "to burn up", or from the Latin ''floreo'', "to flourish". Description The upperside forewings are a bright orange with a dark outside edge border and with eight or nine black spots. The hindwings are dark with an orange border. Some females also have a row of blue spots inside the orange border and are known as form ''caeruleopunctata''. The undersides are patterned in a similar way but are paler. The black spots on the forewings are outlined in yellow and the dark colouring is replaced by a pale brownish grey. The hindwings are the same brown/grey colour with small black dots and a narrow orange border. The caterpillars (larvae) are usually green, but some have a purple stripe down the middle of the back ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satyrini
The Satyrini is one of the tribes of the subfamily Satyrinae. It includes about 2200 species and is therefore the largest tribe in the subfamily which comprises 2500 species. Distribution Satyrini butterflies have a worldwide distribution, but the distribution pattern differs between subtribes. Some subtribes are almost restricted to a single biogeographic region, such as the Pronophilina, which is found only in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia. Biology The larval food plants of many species in this tribe are grasses, i.e. Poaceae. It is considered that the Satyrini diversified at about the same time as the grasses did, and that the radiation of the tribe is therefore closely related to the evolution of the grasses. In contrast, the tribe has a few genera which show uncommon feeding preferences. Three genera, '' Euptychia'', ''Ragadia'' and ''Acrophtalmia'', feed on Lycopsida, and moreover, some species of ''Euptychia'' have been reported to feed on mosses o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vanessa Atalanta
''Vanessa atalanta'', the red admiral or, previously, the red admirable, is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about . It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. The red admiral is widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. It resides in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring and sometimes again in autumn. Typically found in moist woodlands, the red admiral caterpillar's primary host plant is the stinging nettle (''Urtica dioica''); it can also be found on the false nettle (''Boehmeria cylindrica''). The adult butterfly drinks from flowering plants like ''Buddleia'' and overripe fruit. Red admirals are territorial; females will only mate with males that hold territory. Males with superior flight abilities are more likely to successfully court females. It is known as an unusually calm but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Purple Hairstreak
The purple hairstreak (''Favonius quercus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, Caucasia, and Transcaucasia. The larva feeds on ''Quercus robur'', ''Quercus petraea'', ''Quercus cerris'' and ''Quercus ilex''. Subspecies *''F. quercus interjectus'' (Verity, 1919) - Italy *''F. quercus longicaudatus'' ( Riley, 1921) - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, West Iran *''F. quercus iberica'' ( Staudinger, 1901) - Morocco, Algeria, Iberia Description in Seitz ''Z. quercus'' L. (74 c, d). male above with a blue gloss and narrow black distal border, the female with the basal area of the forewing blue and often the cell of the hindwing bluish. Underside leaden-grey, with a proximally dark-edged white line before the outer third and in the anal area of the hindwing weak yellow spots. ab. ''obsoleta'' Tutt are females without any blue gloss; there occur also transitional specimens with the blue reduced (''semiobsoleta''). ab. ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aglais Io
''Aglais io'', the European peacock, more commonly known simply as the peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. It was formerly classified as the only member of the genus ''Inachis'' (the name is derived from Greek mythology, meaning Io, the daughter of Inachus). It should not be confused or classified with the "American peacocks" in the genus '' Anartia''; while belonging to the same family as the European peacock, Nymphalidae, the American peacocks are not close relatives of the Eurasian species. The peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring. The peacock butterfly has figured in research in which the role of eyespots as an anti-predator mechanism has been investigated. The peacock is expanding its range and is not known to be threatened. Characteristics The butterfly has a wingspan of 50 to 55 mm. The base colour o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Painted Lady
''Vanessa cardui'' is the most widespread of all butterfly species. It is commonly called the painted lady, or formerly in North America the cosmopolitan. Description File:Vanessa cardui MHNT CUT 2013 3 14 Pontfaverger-Moronvilliers Dos.jpg, Dorsal side File:Vanessa cardui MHNT CUT 2013 3 14 Pontfaverger-Moronvilliers Ventre.jpg, Ventral side File:Vanessa cardui - egg 02 (HS).jpg, Egg File:Vanessa cardui - caterpillar 07 (HS).jpg, Larva File:Vanessa cardui - pupa 03 (HS).jpg, Pupa File:Painted Lady Chrysalis micro CT.jpg, Inside Pupa File:Vanessa cardui - chrysalis and emergence.jpg, Emergence Distribution ''V. cardui'' is one of the most widespread of all butterflies, found on every continent except Antarctica and South America. In Australia, ''V. cardui'' has a limited range around Bunbury, Fremantle, and Rottnest Island. However, its close relative, the Australian painted lady (''V. kershawi'', sometimes considered a subspecies) ranges over half the continent. Othe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthocharis Cardamines
''Anthocharis cardamines'', the orange tip, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae, which contains about 1,100 species. ''A. cardamines'' is mainly found throughout Europe and temperate Asia (Palearctic) The males feature wings with a signature orange pigmentation, which is the origin of ''A. cardamines''' common name. Males and females of this species occupy different habitats: males mostly frequent the edges of forests whereas females frequent meadows. ''A. cardamines'' feeds on most plants found within its habitat but the females selectively oviposit on young inflorescence of crucifers. Mating is usually controlled by females as virgin females found in flight are always pursued by males immediately. Females can signal different meanings to the approaching males by using their abdomen. There is evidence that mated females have an anti-aphrodisiac and that their usage of the abdomen has a closely related function in presenting these pheromones to males. This species has been af ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meadow Brown
The meadow brown (''Maniola jurtina'') is a butterfly found in the Palearctic realm. Its range includes Europe south of 62°N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The larvae feed on grasses. Description There is marked sexual dimorphism in this species. The upperside of the male is uniformly light brown with a black ocellus centered white at the apex of the forewing, while the female has a tawny patch more or less extended around this ocella. The underside forewing is ochre-colored bordered with dark beige with the same ocelli at the apex in the male, while the hindwing is greyish to brown with a more or less orange band in the female. The males are also much more active and range far about, while females fly less and often may not move away from the area where they grew up. Description in Seitz Above dark brown: the apical ocellus minutely centred with white, being in the male bordered with dull dark yellow, and standing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Large White
''Pieris brassicae'', the large white, also called cabbage butterfly, cabbage white, cabbage moth (erroneously), or in India the large cabbage white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is a close relative of the small white, ''Pieris rapae''. The large white is common throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia. Distribution The large white is common throughout Europe, north Africa, and Asia to the Himalayas often in agricultural areas, meadows and parkland. It has managed to establish a population in South Africa and in 1995 it was predicted to spread to Australia and New Zealand. The large white is a strong flier and the British population is reinforced in most years by migrations from the continent. Scattered reports of the large white from the north-eastern United States (New York, Rhode Island and Maine) over the past century are of a dubious nature and indicate either accidental transport or intentional release. Such introductions threaten to establish this agric ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holly Blue
The holly blue (''Celastrina argiolus'') Retrieved April 20, 2018. is a butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family and is native to the Palearctic. The holly blue has pale silver-blue wings spotted with pale ivory dots. Seitz describes it "Male above shining violet blue, only the apical portion of the costal margin being minutely edged with white. The female has both wings broadly bordered with dark, the margin of the hindwing bearing vestiges of ocelli. Underside silver-white, in the disc a row of black dots, some of which are elongate, and before the margin blackish shadowy dots. Egg very flat, whitish. Larva green or brown, marked with yellowish white, bearing catenulate stripes on the back, on segment 7 a gland to attract ants; head brown. On Ivy, ''Ilex'', ''Evonymus'', ''Rhamnus'', ''Robinia'', ''Genista'', ''Spartium'', ''Astragalus'', ''Rubus'', ''Erica'', ''Pyrus'' and many other plants; in Europe visited usually by ants of the genus ''Lasius''; in June an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_male.jpg "Click for more on -> Satyrini")
.jpg "Click for more on -> Large White")