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Freak Pyrenees fritillary!
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:39 pm
by essexbuzzard
I photographed this most peculiar Dark Green Fritillary in the French Pyrenees over the weekend. Never seen anything like it. It was with lots of other Dark Greens,and behaved similar,though it was perhaps a bit slower than the others.I promise i have not altered or photoshoped the picture in any way,apart from the size for posting. Anyone know what is going on here?
Re: Freak Pyrenees fritillary!
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:49 pm
by Padfield
Amazing! I've never seen anything like it. It's as if the black ink cartridge ran out.
Guy
Re: Freak Pyrenees fritillary!
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:57 pm
by MrSp0ck
The same thing happens with our Gatekeepers at Hutchinsons Bank Nature Reserve.
Re: Freak Pyrenees fritillary!
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:27 pm
by millerd
Extraordinary - the opposite of melanism. No black pigment at all.
I wonder what the caterpillar looked like (though I would guess that the failure to lay down pigment probably occurred in the pupa)? An amazing find, E.B.!
Dave
Re: Freak Pyrenees fritillary!
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:10 pm
by David M
Amazing specimens. I never knew nature could turn up such an aberration.
Re: Freak Pyrenees fritillary!
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:21 pm
by bugboy
I think this may explain it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthochromism
in aviculture its often called Lutino