A website dedicated to European Butterflies

Contact Me
Matt Rowlings

 

Mail me to receive
"What's New" Update
e-mails

Field Notes

Macedonia, Greece, July 2004

Macedonia, Greece, July 2004

Macedonia, Greece, July 2004

Lesbos, Greece, April 2005

Worn example emerging in warm weather after winter hibernation.

Peter Rowlings

Cevennes, France, August 1990

Peter Rowlings

Macedonia, Greece, June 1995

Macedonia, Greece, July 2000

Demonstration of the effectiveness of the cryptic wing shape and
colouration - essential for survival during hibernation.

Provence, France, June 2003

Nettle Tree, the larval food plant around which I found a hibernated
adult flying 2 months earlier, before leaves had budded.

This is Europe's only example of the Snout family of butterflies. It is so called because the butterflies have highly modified labial palpi that are extended beyond the head - resembling a long nose. It is a highly cryptic butterfly looking exceedingly like a dead leaf when it rests amongst leaf litter. As the butterfly hibernates this will give it better chances of survival amongst dead leaves. Its hindwing also has a lobe which extends beyond the forewing when at rest, thus breaking up the typical outline of a butterfly. Plus the margins of both wings are also highly irregular. Again this will help with survival during the cold months when the butterfly is vulnerable to warm blooded predators. In spring the hibernated butterflies can be found flying around its budding foodplant - the Nettle Tree, Celtis australis.

It flies across southern Europe and also on several of the Mediterranean islands in summer before hibernating in the extreme heat of August, not re-emerging until the first warm days of spring.

TOP