www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

This is either Maculinea alcon or rebeli.

There isn't much of a view but since the video clip is so famous I would hope someone knows.

This is a clip from David Attenborough's Life in the Undergrowth series showing the caterpillars and the parasite in the nest.

In any case you can all enjoy this magnificent clip from the BBC's special section on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCo2uCLXvhk

Not sure why - but I always thought this was Alcon Blue.

Cheers,

- Pete

What a great video! I hadn't seen it.

I couldn't be sure either, but I definitely go for alcon. The plant looks more like pneumonanthe than cruciata and the egg-laying does not at all resemble the egg-laying of rebeli, with which I am very familiar.

No comparison with Attenborough (!) but I have previously posted a video of rebeli egg-laying here:

http://www.guypadfield.com/movies/rebeli071.wmv

She lays near the growing shoot of the plant, which has large, spreading leaves. I've observed this many times and it is always the same. The eggs are always scattered over the upper leaves that have grown out from the shoot.





Guy

[img]couldn't%20be%20sure%20either,%20but%20I%20definitely%20go%20for%20alcon.%20The%20plant%20looks%20more%20like%20pneumonanthe%20than%20cruciata%20and%20the%20egg-laying%20does%20not%20at%20all%20resemble%20the%20egg-laying%20of%20rebeli,%20with%20which%20I%20am%20very%20familiar.[/img]

Nearly 100% sure that was Alcon. I have the book "Life in the undergrowth" with a photo of the butterfly and it says its the Alcon blue. Very well done video, you wonder sometimes on how they actually find the creatures at the right time to shoot such shots, guess some is hit and miss? I remember when they went to look for <ayflies in a place in Europe, they kept having bad lukc, but manged to see them emerge at the last day they would emerge.