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Comma and Scabious


Comma and Scabious
Photo Information
Copyright: Alan Cassidy (accassidy) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 155 W: 117 N: 514] (1946)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-09-28
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D80, Nikon 60mm F/2.8 macro, 62 mm UV
Exposure: f/11, 1/45 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-09-29 1:23
Viewed: 579
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Polygonia c-album (Linnaeus, 1758), Comma, Family Nymphalidae

Yesterday was a misty morning, but by 11.30 the sun began to break through and warm up the air. Bernwood is a famous butterfly habitat in the south of England so, as I was driving past, I stopped for a short while to see if anything was stirring this late in the summer. I was very pleasantly surprised by the number of Commas starting their day feeding on the wild Scabious flowers.

Here is one such butterfly, with an adjacent flower, in a somewhat linear composition. The image has been cropped, resized and sharpened for TN.

Description Eggs are laid singly on the uppermost leaves and the caterpillars usually hatch after about 15 days. The favored foodplant in the past was Hops but a decline in village breweries has caused a move towards nettle (usually growing in shaded positions) as the favored foodplant although Elm is often used as well.

The larvae of the Comma are particularly attractive at close quarters although from a distance resemble a bird dropping. Pupation almost always takes place on the foodplant.

Butterflies of the summer brood appearing around May/June are deep orange and are known as form hutchinsoni. Later broods and those overwintering as Adults are more usually deeper brown above while their underwing is either a beautiful mix of blues, greys and browns or the more usual orange/brown.

Adult wingspan: 50-64mm

Habitat The Comma is presently a relatively common butterfly but up until the 1940's the Comma was only regularly seen on the Welsh borders.

Larval Foodplants Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Hops, English Elm
matatur, ramthakur, crs, zulfu, boreocypriensis, anel has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Alutka: Commaaccassidy 1 09-29 08:50
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Alan,
A fine macro-capture in good POV, exposure and focus, also a perfect combination of faunal and floral elements within a pleasant composition. TFS this fine image.
Mehmet

Splendid capture of this rarely seen butterfly, Alan.
This specimen you have shot is healthy and without blemish.
Very sharp focus and wonderfully vivid colours.
you did well to retain the flower within the frame. It makes a great composition.
TFS and regards.

Hello Alan,

Good presentation of this comma. Excellent POV, DOF and focus. Good exposure and colours. Excellent contrast against the dark background.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 523 W: 0 N: 920] (3543)
  • [2008-09-29 2:32]

Hello Alan,

You have used so well the light showing excelent colors in the well shown pattern of the wings. There is a fine composition in your photo and a pleasent contrast between the colors of butterfly, flower and background.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

hi alan,
this is beautiful and colorful b'fly in a almost good composition. trying to include the flower also in the frame you pushed the comma to the edge. you could have shown only part of the flower to keep the conectivity here. otherwise, very good effort. tfs.
nagraj.v

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1063 W: 0 N: 162] (868)
  • [2008-09-29 6:16]

Hello Alan, great macro ans superb warm colours. TFS.
G's,
Mehmet

Hi Alan,
on Saturday ,after once first, I photographed Polygonia c-album (Rusałkę Ceik). This is beautiful butterfly, and moves on flowers quickly, not easily to him approaches.
The focus is spot on with sharp details.
Excellent lighting and natural colours.
The DOF is terrific,the butterfly stands out well against the OOF BG.
Regards
Alina

Superb shot in all around Alan! TFS.
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2912 W: 34 N: 8640] (32202)
  • [2008-09-29 10:55]

Hi Alan. We to had a great warm day on the south coast. A colourful late butterfly on the scabious flower. You have good detail and colours. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1725 W: 0 N: 3924] (15760)
  • [2008-10-01 5:05]

Hello Alan,
A very pleasant composition with Scabiosa and Comma. I see that sometimes you also like space in your pictures, here it was an ideal case with the interesting distance between flower and insect.
Thansk for it
Best regards
Anne

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