www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Guaranteed to make you want to be there...enjoy this youtube clip (prepare for 45 seconds of envy!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdlIjRCc ... re=related

Gibster.

Hi Gibster,
That's Susie's back garden that is!
Neil

Hmmm...I think her planting is a little sparse, but generally not too shabby for Sussex I s'pose

Amazing.

This one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7rPJRwJ ... re=related

shows how similar Patagonian mariposas (lovely word - much better than butterfly) are to European species.

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:... mariposas (lovely word - much better than butterfly) ...
Jack

The etymology of mariposa is said to be 'Maria, posa (te)!', meaning, 'Mary, alight!'

The German 'Schmetterling' is interestingly connected with 'butterfly'. It comes ultimately from the Czech 'smetana' (like the composer) meaning cream or sometimes churned cream, from the habit of butterflies to come to milk pails (not something I've observed myself - the Erebia in the mountains prefer the cowpats to their dairy products).

Might 'butterfly' actually be related to this, rather than being a contraction of 'butter-coloured fly'?

Yes, beautiful videos!!

Guy

Great stuff Gibster

Somebody get that man a tripod though

padfield wrote:

Jack Harrison wrote:... mariposas (lovely word - much better than butterfly) ...
Jack

The etymology of mariposa is said to be 'Maria, posa (te)!', meaning, 'Mary, alight!'

The German 'Schmetterling' is interestingly connected with 'butterfly'. It comes ultimately from the Czech 'smetana' (like the composer) meaning cream or sometimes churned cream, from the habit of butterflies to come to milk pails (not something I've observed myself - the Erebia in the mountains prefer the cowpats to their dairy products).

Might 'butterfly' actually be related to this, rather than being a contraction of 'butter-coloured fly'?



Guy

here is an interesting article about butterfly etymology:

http://www.insects.org/ced4/etymology.html

i never realised where the word "fritillary" came from... i assumed it was related to "frilly" or "fluttery"...

Charles

I am not sure if I mentioned this before (my mind is older than Jack's & less well trained as well! lol) but a few years ago I did a tour of Nevada. Into trees then & purpose was to see the Bristlecone pines on top of the mountains with a subsidary object of old mining ghost towns.
In a narrow valley just south of pyramid lake, I ran into a swarm of what I assume were migrating Monarchs going back north. It was end of may & the swarm was over 5 miles long & thicker than that shown in this video. The car was plastered, unfortunately my wife panicked & would not let me stop & get out to take a photo in case they got in the car. A memorable experience but I bitterly regret not getting the photo now! Eric