Nearing the end...

[Dave McCormick]

I found this small tortoiseshell. It either lived a full life or a very bad one, either way, does not look like it has long left to go. No hairy bits left on its body, wings almost gone, just about make out that its a tortoiseshell and no more:



Canon 400D
Sigma 105mm

F-Stop = f/13
Exposure Time = 1/200sec
ISO = ISO-200
Exposure Bias = -2 step
Focal Length = 105mm
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash
Handheld

[Chris]

i'd say it was a Painted Lady!

[Dave McCormick]

Hi Chris, but I am nearly positive it was a tortoiseshell. It was beside a fresh one and it looked same size and you can just make out the white marks and black lines that a tortoiseshell has on tope of wings and the slight hint of orange on wings. Although I did see a painted lady a few days before and it was not in good shape, but that was only one I have seen all year.

[Shirley Roulston]

Poor little butterfly whatever it is, I think it needs the kiss of life.

[bugmadmark]

Great Photo - Ive a good mind to get it printed and stick it on my office door with a caption like 'It's Friday, I'm tired and worn out - please go away' - Perhaps someone could do better?

Mark

[Pete Eeles]

Great Photo - Ive a good mind to get it printed and stick it on my office door with a caption like 'It's Friday, I'm tired and worn out - please go away' - Perhaps someone could do better?

Mark

Yeah - perhaps it belongs with the stock photos Certainly a unique photo, for sure. Never seen anything quite like it - well done Dave!

What next - UK Butterflies bumper stickers?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pete Woodruff]

If we are going to be sentimental then this is the ultimate in sadness in relation to photographing butterflies at deaths door.

I can truthfully say I have never seen anything like this before, a quite remarkable image the species of which I have no intention of guessing.

Pete Woodruff.

[jellyang]

It is a great photo!

Its one of those bitter-sweet moments I guess.

Dave , I would push for 'tattiest' butterfly for the competition, you would win hands down, unless someone can better it??

Angie

[Padfield]

I'd like to think that without vanity, self-pity, regret, fear or any of the other things that blight our human pleasures, that small tortoiseshell is thoroughly enjoying its last day of nectaring!

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Ah - that's the philosopher in you!

As someone was once asked ... "Do you worry about getting old", the answer "well, given the alternative, that's just fine" ... seems to sum it up. As for this tortoiseshell

Cheers,

- Pete

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks guys for the comments. It was feeding away, apart from looking like it did, it did seem quite active, although it could not fly much it walked well and was feeding quite well.

Just one of those rare things that does happen to the poor creatures, but rarely seen. I have seen quite a few speckled woods damaged, but never as bad as that. Thomas Marent from Switzerland got a peacock butterfly that was just as bad in his book "Butterflies a photographic portrait"