Peacock (Aglais io) – I know, a Mr. Mister song from the mid 1980s which I remember well, but it sums up the sorry state of this butterfly who stayed for a long, long time in my back garden feeding on this flower.
These Broken Wings
Tag: Peacock Butterfly
Bluebells & Peacocks
Peacock (Inachis io) – This butterfly was so taken by the sweet nectar of the Bluebell flowers it hardly notcied me at all as I was virtually on top of it with my macro lens. Double-click to enlarge image.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 21st April 2020 ♦ Local woodland ride, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Sitting On A Bowl of Sunshine
Peacock (Inachis io) – Probably my favourite of all the butterflies I have seen here, and another fond reminder of my childhood, of long, hot and lazy summer days. Double-click to enlarge image,
© Peter Hillman ♦ 16th April 2020 ♦ Local woodland margin, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
The Peacock Always Brightens My Day
Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) formerly Inachis io, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. August 2017.
Peacock Butterfly
Inachis io
This very strikingly colourful butterfly is a very common visitor to our gardens in the summer months. Its distinctive eye-like markings are to ward off predators and are similar to the feather markings of the peacock bird, hence its name. A flash of these startling wings distracts potential attackers, giving the butterfly that crucial edge to make its escape. Note, how at a glance, the eyespots resemble a staring cat. The wings undersides are sooty brown with a little patternation, which make this ideal for camouflage. Wingspan 70mm (2 3/4in).
The caterpillars feed on Stinging Nettles, and live together in silken webs until their final moult.
It flies June to October, and again in the spring after hibernation. The adults may live up to over a year. It hibernates in the hollows of trees or inside outbuildings.
Observed almost anywhere there are nectar-rich flowers, including parks and gardens, wasteland, flowery meadows, and woodland rides. Abundant and widespread across Great Britain, apart from the northern half of Scotland.
Photographs of Peacock (Inachis io) butterfly, taken July and August 2006, front and rear gardens, Staffordshire. © Pete Hillman 2006. Camera used Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1.
3D Butterfly Jungle
No tricks of Photoshop here. A just by chance combination of depth of field and the angle the butterfly is positioned, and perhaps its dark colouration, gives a three-dimensional impression to this image. I think it does, anyhow. Can anybody else see this, or it just me?
Photograph of Peacock (Inachis io) butterfly, taken August 2007, rear garden, Staffordshire. © Pete Hillman 2007. Camera used Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W1.
Three Peacock Poses
Photographs of Peacock (Inachis io) butterfly, taken May 2012, during a walk in a local field, Staffordshire. © Pete Hillman 2012. Camera used Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38.
Perfect Peacock
This is one of my very favourite butterflies. It is called the Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io), for obvious reasons. It is a very common garden visitor, especially when my Buddleia’s are flowering, but it is not a fussy eater and it will be attracted to most nectar-rich flowers. This one happened to be an early riser, coming out of hibernation in early spring and finding my Large-leaved Saxifrage to feed on.
Photographs taken March 2014, rear garden, Staffordshire.
Nature Journeys 