Fritillary Butterfly
by Nava Thompson
Title
Fritillary Butterfly
Artist
Nava Thompson
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A photo taken of an Orange Fratillary Butterfly on a pink Cone flower on the trail at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. .........................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.[4][5] The ants provide some degree of protection to these larvae and they in turn gather honeydew secretions. Others such as Phengaris arion communicate with ants to form a parasitic relationship...............................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
June 2nd, 2014
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Viewed 832 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/26/2024 at 8:31 PM
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Comments (53)
Shirley Mitchell
Congratulations on WFS Best of Best Nava! you have some stunning butterfly shots in your gallery
Randy Rosenberger
Dear Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery Group Member, You are to be congratulated on your achievement of getting your beautiful piece of artwork chosen to be featured in our “Best of the Best” section of our homepage. This is truly an honor to be selected for this special feature. If your works are featured, it is always an honor, but this honor is above and beyond what one sees most of the time. It is excellently done and presented and deserves a special place on our homepage. Happy sales to you till we meet again.
Anita Faye
Nava, perfectly captured! Featured on Groovy Butterflies! https://fineartamerica.com/groups/groovy-butterflies.html
Doug Kreuger
Hello Nava, Thought I would stop by and say Happy Birthday, one more time, before this day is done. I hope your day was a Special One! Wishing you good health and happy times with family and friends in the years to come. Blessings to you and John, love, Doug & Debbie Already a Favorite, accepted another L/V
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Doug----for your thoughtfulness and friendship. Thanks for your encouragement and support---------and say 'hi' to Debbie. :)
Doug Kreuger
Nava, Having recently visited a Butterfly Garden In Houston, TX, I can fully appreciate the talent it takes to capture a flitting Fritillary alighted on a a flower. I Love the Orange colors in this artwork! The soft-focussed background adds a lot to the depth perception! Very fine work my Friend!
Nava Thompson replied:
Doug---wow---hope to see some of your work from the Butterfly garden! I appreciate your nice comments and support!