www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

After watching a fussy looking lady GH push her abdomen into a Bilberry flower head, I found this egg.
There appears to be a very thin membrane covering the egg (glue??), and this was unfortunately damaged when the egg was uncovered. . The actual shell looks AOK, so I hope it will hatch normally. Even with a glass, it was impossible to see the ovum until the covering stem was removed.
Hope to have some other stages pix in due course.

Tony M.

Delighted to report that the egg hatched successfully, despite the damage. The larva is presently about 2mm long and very active,
This is the best that I could do:

Tony M.

Great shots, Tony. What a marvellous little creature!

Guy

Thanks, Guy,

Here's another slightly better one - it sat still for a change...

Tony.

With apologies to the 'Ethics of rearing' thread, here's a further pic of a GH larva. Although the egg was found on bilberry, the larva is eating Bramble and appears to be thriving. It is presently about 3mm in length.

Tony M.

Impressive! What equipment are you using to photograph this?

Hi, Dilettante,

Sony A65, Sigma 105 macro, Nikon Plan 10x / 0.25. microscope objective - natural light. Focus stacked with Zerene Stacker from about 40 images.
Check out www.photomacrography.net if you want to see some serious stacked images.

Tony.

Just how do you get a stack of living cat? I'm beyond impressed.

You wait till the little bugger goes to sleep and get your kit out quickly I'm still waiting for a chance with a Holly Blue larva, but it seems to never stop eating.... Seriously, your best chance is just before, or immediately after, a moult.

Tony.