Life cycle: causes of death |
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Grayling, Hipparchia semele, caught by the carnivorous Sundew, Drosera intermedia.
Carnivorous plants are an exceptional cause of death for most butterflies, because the plants are quite rare.
Even in the habitat where sundew is common, butterflies are not too often lured by the sticky droplets of the plant's tentacles. Hoge Veluwe, the Netherlands; 4 August 1990. Habitat |
Spiders as Predators of Butterflies |
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Aglais urticae |
Maniola jurtina |
Melitaea spec. |
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This Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) was unfortunate enough to fly into the web of an Common Garden spider (Araneus diadematus). The spider rapidly wraps the butterfly in a silken cocoon. Its web thus becomes a larder... Marken, the Netherlands; 25 August 1991. |
Telltale Signs of Bird Attacks |
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Inachis io - Peacock |
The Peacock is exuberantly coloured, so much so that one wonders whether there's special function to it. To many of us, the
most remarkable aspect are the four 'eyes', one on each wing. Did the bird attack an eye? Unlikely, in view of the symmetry
of the damage; the bird must have attacked the butterfly when it had its wings closed. But the butterfly opening its wings,
showing the full splendour of the eyes, might have been too much for the bird's gusto. I once saw our cat at home touch a Peacock with wings closed. The butterfly opened its wings suddenly, and our cat jumped 1 meter backwards, from rest! A recent publication, Intimidating butterflies, confirms the protective effect of the Peacocks coloration. |
Fake antennae? |