Ringlet

Ringlet butterfly, Aphantopos hyperantusRinglet, Aphantopus hyperantus

Ringlet butterfly, Aphantopus hyperantusThis Ringlet butterfly was a roadside casualty that Barbara spotted when we were in Dalby Forest, North Yorks Moors, last month.

Wing scales taken at 200x.
Wing scales photographed at 200x.

Eye-spots, Ringlet butterflyEye-spot, Ringlet butterflyI put it under the microscope to focus on the eye-spots. Each has a bright fleck in the middle, even the smallest of them, which must help give the impression of a gleaming snakelike eye, distracting any attacker either by surprising it or fooling it into pecking the butterfly’s wing instead of its body.

2 comments

  1. This was very interesting for my children. I had them guess what the top photo was, and they were absolutely sure it was a snake. Thanks.

    1. I was surprised at the level of detail when I zoomed into those little eye-spots. The butterfly is on the desk here beside me and the spots look like little targets painted with a very fine brush, so it’s surprising to see how they’re put together like a mosaic or a tapestry.

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