Invertebrate / Lepidoptera / Butterflies and moths

Common or Peleides blue morpho butterfly Morpho peleides with colour top wash.  Butterfly is on a leaf with magnified detail of the structure of the wing scales.  These ridges cause iridescence.  Illustration from “30 Animals that made us smarter” by Patrick Ayree (BBC Books).

Chequered skipper Carterocephalus palaemon butterfly illustration. Illustration ties in with the Rockingham forest “Back from the Brink” conservation project, led by Butterfly Conservation. It is also the subject of an online illustration workshop.

White Admiral Limenitis camilla butterflies with view of upper and lower wing, feeding on blackberry flowers

Small tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae cut to white

Silver washed fritillary butterfly Argynnis paphia cut to white one with folded wings one in flight, feeding on scabious flowers

Red necked footman Atolmis rubricollis on cuckoo flower Cardamine with black wings folded and scarlet red collar on view

Heath fritillary butterfly Melitaea athalia on cowwheat with speedwell, one in flight and one showing folded underwings

Forester moth Adscita statices with folded wings on a scabious flower, showin1g black colour and glittery irridescence of the wings

Deaths head hawkmoth Acherontia atropos cut to white showing skull pattern on thorax

Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album from above and from side cut to white

Six spot burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae showing food plants Birds foot trefoil Lotus corniculata and all the life stages of the life cycle including the yellow spotted with black caterpillar and amazing paper cocoons then dramatic moth with black and red wings, along with the papery cocoon wihcih is attached to tall stems of grasses

Small Copper Lycanae phlaeas Butterfly cut to white

Silver Y Moth Autographa gamma lifecycle showing caterpillar, silk cocoon, adult and egg arranged around the round leaved mint food plant

Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria cut to white

Tobacco horn worm Manduca sexta life cyle with Tobacco plant showing all the life stages including egg, pupa, caterpillar, and adult moth

Scarlet tiger moth Callimorpha dominula on birds foot trefoil Lotus corniculata plant

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus and meadow brown aniola jurtina butterfly in amongst grasses in a meadow, some in flight, with with upper wings on show and some showing under wings

Peacock butterfly Aglais io cut to white

Purple emperor butterfly Apatura ilia cut to white

Red admiral Vanessa atalanta cut to white

Painted lady Vanessa cardui butterfly with host plant Spear thistleCirsium spc and life cycle stages

Monarch Danaus plexippus butterfly cut to white

Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi butterfly view of adult with wings folded showing bright green underside

Emperor moth Saturnia pavonia female adult cut to whtie showing grey and brown furry wings with eyespots