David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
_________________________________________________________________________
Butterflies 98 – Meadow Browns
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(m)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(m)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(m)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(m)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
MEADOW
BROWN BUTTERFLY Maniola jurtina
(f)
·
The Meadow Brown Butterfly Maniola
jurtina is one of the commonest and most
widespread of butterflies in the UK and throughout much of continental Europe.
There is clear sexual dimorphism evident on the upperwings
and the females are more brightly marked with orange patches and larger
eyespots than their comparatively dull brown male counterparts. Generally, the
eyespots on the forewings are single-pupilled, but,
as may be seen from the photographs, occasionally a smaller second ‘pupil’ may
be present, and the shapes of the markings are not particularly consistent. The
ground colour is also variable and some of the photographs illustrate freshly
emerged and brightly coloured examples of this species. The distinction between
the sexes is less distinctive when looking at the undersides of these
butterflies with their wings closed, and although the less brightly marked examples
have been labelled as males this is not a certainty for those butterflies for
which upperside views were not also photographed. It
is unusual to be able to take protracted series of this very mobile butterfly. Many
Meadow Browns will become tatty and worn - and rather less photogenic than the
better examples illustrated on this page! These insects are very easily
disturbed (so a steady and careful approach is required), and there appears to
have been an unconscious bias towards photographing bright, fresh females! Meadow
Browns are often attracted by flowers (so they are pollinators) and they will
also bask with their wings open in weak sunlight, snapping their wings shut if
disturbed and then usually taking flight.
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