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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus, 1758)
Trauermantel, Sorgmantel, Rouwmantel, Mourning Cloak, Camberwell Beauty, le Moria, Antiopa
Family: Nymphalidae
Wing span: 60 – 70 mm.
This conspicuous butterfly is widely distributed over North America, and the temperate regions of Asia and Europe. It does not breed in Southern Spain, the Mediterranean islands, Ireland and the UK. In Scandinavia the species is reported even from northernmost regions beyond the polar circle. A few reports of the Camberwell Beauty in the UK may come from migrant butterflies from the European continent. In spite of the enormous area of its distribution the species does not show any distinguished local races but looks identical no matter seeing it in Austria, in Spain, in Sweden, in Siberia or even – as I once had the pleasure - in one of the canyons of Northern Arizona.
Caterpillars feed on the leaves of willow and birch trees. The butterflies emerge in early July.
After an extended resting period that includes hibernation, butterflies of the same generation can be seen from March to May of the following year. So for a butterfly they do have the exceptionally long lifetime of approximately 10 months.
The butterfly shows wings of dark purplish brown, black borders with blue spots, and an additional broad yellow border that turns into a greyish white after hibernation. The butterfly shown is definitely an aged individual approximately 10 months old, has survived the winter, and for its age is quite well in shape and in good order. For reasons unknown, during the 20th century Nymphalis antiopa has become very rare in central Europe.
The picture was taken on the shadowy southern coast of Lake Millstatt in Carinthia, Austria, in the afternoon of a rather cool day. Sittinh on a wooden fence, the butterfly seemed to enjoy the warm rays of sun. Date: 26.5.2005,16:58
Camera: Minolta DiMage 7Hi. Resolution: 2560x1920, sRGB, 51mm, F/8, 1/180sec, ISO-100. Macro. No flash, no tripod.
Postwork: Photoshop 7, sharpened, contrast on overexposed foreground and wing borders selectively increased, downsized to 800 x 600 pixels.
Thank you for looking. |
wallhalla15, phlr, PDP, thistle, Harm-digitaal has marked this note useful
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