Butterfly Glow
by Nava Thompson
Title
Butterfly Glow
Artist
Nava Thompson
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A photo taken by Nava Thompson of a yellow butterfly on a purple thistle in the wild..................................This is a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly.Egg of Ariadne merioneButterfly eggs are protected by a hard-ridged outer layer of shell, called the chorion. This is lined with a thin coating of wax which prevents the egg from drying out before the larva has had time to fully develop. Each egg contains a number of tiny funnel-shaped openings at one end, called micropyles; the purpose of these holes is to allow sperm to enter and fertilize the egg. Butterfly and moth eggs vary greatly in size between species, but they are all either spherical or ovate.........................Butterfly eggs are fixed to a leaf with a special glue which hardens rapidly. As it hardens it contracts, deforming the shape of the egg. This glue is easily seen surrounding the base of every egg forming a meniscus. The nature of the glue is unknown and is a suitable subject for research. The same glue is produced by a pupa to secure the setae of the cremaster. This glue is so hard that the silk pad, to which the setae are glued, cannot be separated................................Eggs are almost invariably laid on plants. Each species of butterfly has its own hostplant range and while some species of butterfly are restricted to just one species of plant, others use a range of plant species, often including members of a common family.............................................The egg stage lasts a few weeks in most butterflies but eggs laid close to winter, especially in temperate regions, go through a diapause (resting) stage, and the hatching may take place only in spring. Other butterflies may lay their eggs in the spring and have them hatch in the summer. These butterflies are usually northern species, such as the Mourning Cloak (Camberwell Beauty) and the Large and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.....................................Caterpillars of Junonia coenia.Butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, consume plant leaves and spend practically all of their time in search of food. Although most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few species such as Spalgis epius and Liphyra brassolis are entomophagous (insect eating).........................................Some larvae, especially those of the Lycaenidae, form mutual associations with ants. They communicate with the ants using vibrations that are transmitted through the substrate as well as using chemical signals.[5][6] The ants provide some degree of protection to these larvae and they in turn gather honeydew secretions...................Caterpillars mature through a series of stages called instars. Near the end of each instar, the larva undergoes a process called apolysis, in which the cuticle, a tough outer layer made of a mixture of chitin and specialized proteins, is released from the softer epidermis beneath, and the epidermis begins to form a new cuticle beneath. At the end of each instar, the larva moults the old cuticle, and the new cuticle expands, before rapidly hardening and developing pigment. Development of butterfly wing patterns begins by the last larval instar..................................Butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of true legs from the thoracic segments and up to 6 pairs of prolegs arising from the abdominal segments. These prolegs have rings of tiny hooks called crochets that help them grip the substrate............................Some caterpillars have the ability to inflate parts of their head to appear snake-like. Many have false eye-spots to enhance this effect. Some caterpillars have special structures called osmeteria which are everted to produce foul-smelling chemicals. These are used in defense..............................Host plants often have toxic substances in them and caterpillars are able to sequester these substances and retain them into the adult stage. This makes them unpalatable to birds and other predators. Such unpalatibility is advertised using bright red, orange, black or white warning colours, a practice known as aposematism. The toxic chemicals in plants are often evolved specifically to prevent them from being eaten by insects. Insects in turn develop countermeasures or make use of these toxins for their own survival. This "arms race" has led to the coevolution of insects and their host plants.
Uploaded
August 31st, 2012
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Viewed 163 Times - Last Visitor from Iola, WI on 04/04/2024 at 3:45 PM
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Comments (37)
Judy Johnson
So pretty. Love the glow on the butterfly and the colors are just beautiful! Congrats on the feature. Vote/fave.
Lingfai Leung
I always love your flower and butterfly photos and this one is no exception. Nava Jo, Congratulations on your SUPER Feature in WFS Group. v/f
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Lingfai for your generous comments--always happy to hear from you! Thank your for the support--and the v/f!
Pema Hou
Gorgeous capture, Nava Jo! Congrats on your Super Feature in the WFS Group. Thanks for all your support. V/F
Nava Thompson replied:
Pema---thank you for your nice note! Appreciate your thoughts--and you are very welcome. Thank for the f/v :)
Deena Stoddard
Beautiful!! Congrats on your SUPER feature in WFS! v
Nava Thompson replied:
Deena---thank you much for your encouragement and support. much appreciated! :)
Sharon Duguay
Congrats on your super feature in WFS group Nava Jo ,perfect title he sure does glow v/f
Carolyn Rosenberger
Great color and composition, Nava Jo! Congrats on your Super Feature! fav/v
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Carolyn---I very much appreciate your artistic comments and f/v. For sure enjoying your work--especially the ones with the tiny details. :)
RC DeWinter
Lovely light, Nava, congrats on your super feature in WFS. v
Nava Thompson replied:
RC--thank you so much--great to hear from you and appreciate your comments and vote!
Hanne Lore Koehler
Magnificent capture, Nava!!! What spectacular colors in this wondrous moment in nature! Congratulations on your super feature in Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery group! V/F
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Hanne--always great to hear from you--and enjoy your work so much. Thank you for your artistic encouragement and support!
Doug Kreuger
Congratulations on your Super Feature, Nava Jo! Holy Macro!!! What an amazing close-up! You've even captured the dust on these wings! I love the soft filtered light coming though the wings, and what a beautiful design nature has painted on this butterfly! Outstanding work my friend! F&V
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Doug for your cute and supportive comments. I appreciate your artistic attention to details and the support!
Wanda Brandon
Congrats on your super feature. Lovely use of light and detail. f/v
Nava Thompson replied:
Wanda---thank you very much for your comments and support ! I very much appreciate it and the f/v!
Deb Halloran
Nava Jo, Congratulations on your SUPER Feature in the Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery Group. What a gorgeous capture with fantastic colors, light and detail..well done! v/f
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Deb--thank you for your great comments and support--and congratulations to you also! :) Much appreciated and thanks for the f/v!
Julie Brugh Riffey
Beautiful image. You must have used a telephoto lens to get these details an put the background in a soft haze. Congratulations on your feature! Voted.
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank Julie--for your generous comments and vote. Sometimes I do use a telephoto on this type of shot. Appreciate your vote.
Bruce Bley
What a beautiful capture, Nava Jo!! Love the detail. F/V
Nava Thompson replied:
Bruce---thank you very much--I value your opinion and appreciate your comments and support!