You can't see me - Comma Butterfly

[Geoff F]

A rather early Comma Butterfly hiding amongst the woodland leaf litter.

They have a rather scruffy edge to their wings but I think this must be a survivor from last year; and is a bit deficient in the leg department!

With wings folded, they are difficult to spot amongst the dead leaves but that changes when they unfold their wings.





Just a quick 'real life' snap and I struggled to find a suitable angle; so it isn't perfect but I thought it would make a nice 'promise of times to come' photo.

ps. Sigma 180 macro lens on Canon 40D, with tripod.

[Katy Noelle]

It's beautiful, Geoff, both folded and open. Well spotted! (er, sorry about that.) Thanks for sharing, and I think the dried leaf that it's on is awfully lovely, too.

[Ollokot]

Hi Geoff,
I like the shots,even more so because I find you have to be quick to get them,with me they tend to move just before I go to press the shutter,I'll have to learn to be less clumsy.
Does the Comma hibernate in the leaf litter ?
Best Wishes
Pat

[Mario Xavier]

Oh wow man. Great shot. I would be way too slow/noisy to catch something like this from both angles before it would fly away. Nice crisp image too! Awesome.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments.

The trick with butterflies, and many other insects, is to wear darkish plain clothing and move slowly; which can be difficult when a tripod leg gets stuck in the undergrowth.

And above all else, never let your shadow fall on the intended subject.

Pat, I don't know much about the habits of the Comma which I don't see that often; but they do hibernate over the winter. Caterpillars can be found from May to August.

Some butterflies, like the Red Admiral, which used to die off each winter are now surviving in the south. I saw a few flying during a brief milder spell last January.

ps. What nobody has noticed is that because this isn't a strict wildlife site, I actually cloned out the white 'comma' mark from the underwing to create a more 'aesthetic' appearance.