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Polychloros. (54)
peter_stoeckl
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1629 W: 287 N: 3646]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (10219) | Polychloros.
Last Saturday, the 15th of March, was an unexpectedly sunny and warm day that invited us to go to Eichkogel, one of our favourite nature reserves near the city of Vienna. Finding its hilltop grasslands covered with fresh blossoms of Anemone vernalis and Pulsatilla grandis, and the forest ground coloured violet all over with patches of sweet smelling Viola odorata, we finally got even more rewarded by a large reddish brown butterfly rapidly flying circles around us, and then taking a seat on a tree trunk just in front of us, basking in the warm sun of late afternoon.
It was a well shaped hibernated female of the Large Tortoiseshell to start this year’s butterfly season for us:
Nymphalis polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758)
Large Tortoiseshell - Grosser Fuchs - Grote vos – Körsbärsfuks – Kirsebarsommerfugl – Kirsebartakvinge – Kirsikkaperhonen - Rusałka wierzbowiec - Babôčka brestová - Babočka jilmová - Многоцветница садовая - Grand Tortue - Olmera
Family: Nymphalidae
Wingspan: 55 – 60mm
North Africa, Europe, temperate Asia.
Widespread through the palaearctic region from Northwest Africa through the southern parts of Europe into temperate Asia, the Large Tortoiseshell has always been described to be a rare guest to southern England and southern Scandinavia, but during the last few decades it has also become quite scarce in other parts of central Europe - possibly due to pesticides brought out on apple trees, pear trees, cherry trees that are some of its caterpillar’s favourite feeding plants. According to literature, caterpillars are accepting a large spectre of other decidous trees just as well: Ulmus glabra, Salix caprea, Cerasus avium, Populus tremula, Sorbus torminalis, Crataegus monogyna. So the reason for the species’ disappearance has not really been solved yet.
In southern Europe, where N. polychloros can still be seen regularly in good numbers, the butterfly may be seen in two generations. North of the Alps, there is one generation in summer from June to September, with butterflies hibernating and re-emerging in March and April.
Dry leaf or tree bark camouflage on the underside of wings.
Hope you enjoy.
Literature:
Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: Die Tagfalter Europas und Nordwestafrikas. Stuttgart 1998.
Christopher Jonko: Butterflies and Moths of Europe: http://www.lepidoptera.pl/
Walter Schön: Schmetterling - Raupe: http://www.schmetterling-raupe.de
Camera:
SONY DSC-H5, 3072 x 2304 pixel, sRGB, 72mm tele macro (= 456mm at 35mm SLR), F/4.5, 1/1000sec., ISO-125; hand held, no flash; 15.03.2008, 16:38.
Postwork:
Photoshop Elements, slightly cropped, downsized to web, resharpened, brightness, contrast and saturation adjusted.
Hope you enjoy.
Thank you for visiting.
Have a very good day. |
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| Altered Image #1
peter_stoeckl
(10219)
Nymphalis polychloros - the underside.
Edited by:peter_stoeckl
(10219) |
Nymphalis polychloros - the underside.
Same time, same location.
SONY DSC-H5, 3072 x 2304 pixel, sRGB, 15mm macro (= 90 mm at 35mm SLR), F/4, 1/1000sec., ISO-125; hand held, no flash; 15.03.2008, 16:38.
Hope you enjoy. |
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