| Actual Image
For Ivan (62)
Noisette
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1270 W: 2 N: 1258]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (3979) | Hello TN members
my first Meadow Brown on TN was male with the wings open
my second one has the wings close
ivan suggest me a new challenge : a FEMALE with wings open
the next day, i am going on the small field at the other street side from my house, they are always Meadow Browns at this place, i chase this butterflies a long time without success, only males open her wings, i saw from time to time a female flying around me but never stopped or flying away when i came too close, one time i saw a female landing in the grass, i sit down in the grass with my camera ready to shoot and wait and wait but she keeps her wings closed,
so i decide to go home and try another day, at this moment this kind lady is landing on a clover flower in front of me just at the right distance and open wide her wings, not for a long time but enough for me to take some shots
i was so happy and i had a great smile in my face, it was a GREAT moment
I dedicate this great moment to a great photographer and a great nature lover, Ivan ( Argus ) where suggest me this challenge
this shot is not perfect but it's the best one from this day, i wiil try to do a better the next time
Meadow Brown-Maniola jurtina
The Meadow Brown i is a typical woodland species, commonly seen in meadows near woodlands. Just like the Ringlet it is a dark brown species (this applies to the males especially), so it often flies about unnoticed. The females have a dark orange patch in their wings, the males are almost entirely dark brown. On the backside of the wings the differences are that males have less contrast than the females. That is why the animal in the top picture probably is a male. The animal in the second picture from the top definitely is a female.
The female of the Meadow Brown does look like the Gatekeeper,. In some books and on some websites the difference between the two species is often indicated to be the eye spot on the front wing. The Gatekeeper always has two white spots in the black blob and the Meadow Brown just one. double-eyed Meadow Browns really are a rarity, but they do exist. The difference between the Gatekeeper and the Meadow Brown becomes clear, studying the backside of the wings: the gatekeeper has a few small eyes there, the Meadow Brown doesn't.
The Meadow Brown is flying from May to September, even though just one brood is produced. In northern parts of Britain (noticeably Scotland) it flies in June and July only. This species is common on the continent as well and can be found not only in Europe, but in many parts of Central Asia and Northern Africa as well. In the hot southern parts of Europe and Northern Africa it oversummers. Reaching a wingspan of up to 48 mm it is clearly bigger than the previous species. The larva is green and lives on a great variety of grasses. The colour of the pupa is extremely variable: green, yellow, brown, red or even purple. |
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