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Thursday 16 April 2015

A-Z Challenge 2015 - Butterflies 'N'

N - Northern Brown Argus

Before I found this butterfly I thought I would have to settle for 'Nymphalidae,' the largest family of butterflies with 6000 species around the world. However to help me with this challenge my wife found a nature guide for butterflies and moths. Tucked away in there was the Northern Brown Argus. 

Until then I thought the Argus was a local newspaper in different parts of the UK.


Northern Brown Argus
This specimen was photographed on a Bloody Cranes-Bill flower at the Pinbain Burn SSSI (site of special scientific interest). Pinbain is a rabbit grazed limestone grassland and coastal cliff in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Brown with orange spots on its outer wing edges, in Scotland most have the characteristic white spot on the forewing. In Northern England the spot may be dark brown or black.

Its foodplant is the Common Rock-Rose.

Common Rock-Rose
A very local butterfly in Scotland it exists on only a number of scattered sites.

Northern Brown Argus in Yorkshire
No white spot here, it seems brown/black to me. There are lots of different leaves and grasses in this calcareous pasture on the Kettlewell - Starbotton footpath.


Love is like a butterfly
As soft and gentle as a sigh
The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings
Love makes your heart feel strange inside
It flutters like soft wings in flight
Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing

I feel it when you're with me
It happens when you kiss me
That rare and gentle feeling that I feel inside
Your touch is soft and gentle
Your kiss is warm and tender
Whenever I am with you I think of butterflies

Love is like a butterfly
The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings

Photo attributions
  • Northern Brown Argus on Bloody Cranes-Bill: Pinbain Burn SSS, 17 June 2007, geograph.org,uk, by Mary & Angus Hogg - CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Common Rock-Rose: upload by Gary Dee, 12 May 2011, by Leonara King - CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Northern Brown Argus in Yorkshire: 29 May 2009, geograph.org.uk, by Derek Parkinson - CC BY-SA 2.0

5 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. I'd say the Argus was a newspaper too .. but I don't think I knew about these butterflies .. aren't they delightful to see ... lovely photos. I love the third one .. it looks fluffy ... which they can be ... and I love rock roses .. cheers Hilary

Billy Blue Eyes said...

Nice butterfly if a little dull in color

Jo said...

A very rare butterfly. Attractive too if not as colourful as some. What you might call tastefully patterned.

21 Wits said...

Rare, and beautiful. A lovely poem and your last photo is stunning, as are the pretty flowers.

Julie Flanders said...

These photos are beautiful as yours always are. I've been catching up with your theme and I honestly had no idea there were so many different kinds of butterflies! Amazing.