the king of butterflies...
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:30 pm
I took this photo last week in the French Alps on the way back for a brief return trip to the UK. It struck me how the three male southern small whites (pieris mannii) were almost perfectly in line and keeping a respectful distance behind his majesty, the magnificent swallowtail, as they were all puddling (taking moisture and salts from the damp mud). It’s almost as if they were the courtiers waiting at the royal throne!
There’s also a black veined white (aporia crataegi) or two in the shot. They are incredibly common in the French Alps, usually between 1000 and 1500m altitude, and large numbers congregate at favoured puddling places.
There’s also a black veined white (aporia crataegi) or two in the shot. They are incredibly common in the French Alps, usually between 1000 and 1500m altitude, and large numbers congregate at favoured puddling places.