Switzerland,
2009
The worn butterfly was photographed at the very end of the overwintering
brood (mid June) and the fresh butterfly is feeding up ready for
hibernation in September.
Cambridgeshire,
UK, August 1995
Peter Rowlings
This is one of the UK's best known butterflies.
And at last I have photographs of it and my father has donated a photo
too. It is common in gardens and to a
lesser extent in the countryside. It is attracted strongly to garden
flowers which brings its unique and unmistakable rich colours and
eyespots to the attention of even the most nature-blind people. It is
widespread elsewhere in Europe although I rarely encounter it in
Mediterranean regions. It is absent from southern Spain and north
Africa.
It is flies in late summer before hibernating in September/ October
then is one of the first butterflies to be seen the following spring.
The underside markings are dull black in complete contrast to the bright
upperside. In winter it can be found hanging upside down in outhouses,
garages and other cool dark places in buildings. Here is often shares
its hibernation sites with the Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae.
