Reader John sent me this photo, which he thinks is a moth. When I show you the “reveal” in an hour or so (this one isn’t hard), you’ll see why I think it’s a butterfly. But anyway, it’s in the UK, so if you want to take a stab at it, be my guest. I was also unaware that any leipidopterans played “dead.”
John’s notes:
Saw this wonderful little creature the other day on a park bench in Cambridge, UK.
I thought it was a leaf until I got closer. After taking a photo (or few) of the little guy, I blew him off the seat at which point he played dead, fluttering to the ground and lying there for quite a few min. I wouldn’t have spotted him if I hadn’t known he was there…
I have no idea what this insect is called although it looked like a moth to me..so if your readers do know I’d love to find out.
Yep butterfly it is. In the US some members of this group are called “question marks” and “commas” because of the punctuation-like silvery markings on the hindwings. They are satyrid butterflies.
I can see the butterfly but I can’t ID it. However, from asking google, it seems playing dead is not unusual with butterflies. I’ve never seen one do this though.
Oh, this one’s easy.
It’s right behind Hili’s left ear.
Cheers,
b&
Just ask Vladimir.
It’s just to the right of the Nightjar…
It looks like a Comma butterfly, I can’t be any more detailed than that. I think it’s the big thing that looks like a dead leaf in the centre of the image, we are looking at the underside of it’s wing, it’s upside down with it’s head and antennae pointing down.
It may not be playing dead, it could just be dying, unhealthy or just a bit nonchalant.
If it’s a Comma, it’s a good thing this one is from Cambridge. Had it been from Oxford, who would give a fuck?
Cheers,
b&
…certainly not the honey badger…
Ha ha, an oxford comma joke was somewhere in my subconscious when I saw the butterfly name too.
I’d say it’s the Comma (Polygonia c-album).
Although I’m in Florida I just happen to have a copy of The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and that book [Book! To heck with internet searches!] tells me it is Polygonia c-album, the Comma Butterfly. It looks like it is the only angle-winged butterfly in Britain, although there are several angle-wing species in North America.
As for playing dead, I’ve never seen that in butterflies myself but I have seen several caterpillars that try that trick.
All things comma butterfly here – http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=c-album
I wonder how that comma mark evolved?
Most definitley a Comma butterfly. Lying on it’s side so we see the underside of it’s wing. The Comma symbol is a dead giveaway.
As for playing dead it could have been cold and when disturbed had not ‘warmed up’ enough to fly so playing dead was a defensive strategy.
Most butterflies need to warm up to ‘operating temperature’ before they can fly. Hence the exercising of wings in the sunshine before they fly in the morning.
Polygonia c-album ssp. c-album f. c-album
It looks like a female in the picture. Was the picture taken in the UK?
In the mid 19th c. in England and Wales, it was in severe decline possibly due to a reduction in farming Hops, a key larval food plant at the time. By mid 20th c. it had made a comeback, preferring common nettle as the larval food plant.
The UK should brew more beer!
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=c-album
John here, fascinating stuff – now that you mention the comma it just jumps out at you.