Marbled White differences

[rikski]

Hi Guys
I photographed these two below at Winchester... why are they different is it the sexes?
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16220131/Marbl ... %20web.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16220131/Marbl ... 20web2.jpg

[David M]

Is the orange tint to the antennae in the second image natural or is something being reflected back onto the butterfly?

[rikski]

The orange tint is natural. I checked the other shots I have, even the ones with no sunlight shows an orange tint.
Rik

[MikeOxon]

The body shapes indicate that both are male. The first looks like a freshly-emerged, very strongly-marked example, whereas the other is more faded with age. That first one is a beautiful specimen with almost blue-looking spots on the hind wings!

Mike

[Padfield]

It was the blue spots that leapt out at me when I saw that photo too! Those spots are always present in potentia but generally not expressed on the upperside of this species, being lost under the dark submarginal markings. They are exposed as standard in many of the non-British marbled whites.

A lovely individual.

Guy

[John W]

This individual has the blue spotting too (taken today at the flower filled meadow in Marlpost woods).
(You have to click on the image to see them)

Cheers
John

[MikeOxon]

Another good specimen,John W, and yours appears to be female, judging by the broad abdomen and yellow costa. Now, if she could get together with rikski's, we might have our own race britannicus!

Mike