They are called “Pfauenauge” (peacock’s eye) in German and are one of the few species of butterfly one can still see from time to time. I remember them from my childhood days and they (and some other species) where definitely more common back then (in the 1960s) than they are now. The reason that they are still common might be that their caterpillars eat the leaves of stinging nettles which are very common.
Thank you, Nannus. There are certainly a lot of stinging nettles around. I am told that Comma butterflies also like to lay their eggs on nettles, and we have seen a lot of Commas too.
Great catch!
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Thank you, Ola.
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What a beautiful butterfly. We do not have these butterflies in American. I thank you for sharing something from nature that I have never seen before.
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Ah, they are beautiful! Not always easy to photograph too! Well done!
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Thank you, Emma. I took dozens of shots trying to get a picture with the wings open and showing their glorious colours.
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Thank you, Peggy Joan. North America has some pretty spectacular butterflies of its own that are absent in Britain.
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They are called “Pfauenauge” (peacock’s eye) in German and are one of the few species of butterfly one can still see from time to time. I remember them from my childhood days and they (and some other species) where definitely more common back then (in the 1960s) than they are now. The reason that they are still common might be that their caterpillars eat the leaves of stinging nettles which are very common.
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Thank you, Nannus. There are certainly a lot of stinging nettles around. I am told that Comma butterflies also like to lay their eggs on nettles, and we have seen a lot of Commas too.
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