wing scales

Common or Peleides blue morpho butterfly Morpho peleides.  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).

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

Small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris natural history illustration on grasses

Brimstone butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni with wings spread

Brown hairstreak Thecla betulae with wings folded, female flying behind, adult in foreground resting on a leaf

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

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

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

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

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

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

Small tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae cut to white

Butterfly bouquest invented mix of flowers and butterfly cut to white

Small Chocolate tip moth Clostera pigra holding its wings unconventionally held against a leaf background

Small Copper Lycanae phlaeas Butterfly cut to white

Small Heath Butterfly Coenonympha pamphilus showing underwings

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary butterfly Boloria selene

Small tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae life cycle illustrated in pen and ink with colour top wash and host plant nettle

Small tortoiseshell butterfly Aglais urticae cut to white dead specimen so wings folded further back than in life

Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria cut to white

Swallowtail butterfly Papilio machaon cut to whtie

Large striped swordtail Graphium antheus cut to whtie

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

Tobacco horn worm Manduca sexta life stages egg pupa larva adult cut to whtie