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Peacock

 

 

 

 

These three spring butterfly species are easy to recognize from their very characteristic looks: the peacock, the comma and the Camberwell beauty.

 

A hundred years ago the peacock was still rather rare in Estonia but during the last 50 years it has become common everywhere. We have no other such patterned butterfly whose brownish-red wings are decorated with magnificent eye patches.

 

While the peacock often flies in settlements and is happy to winter in buildings, the next two patterned butterflies are probably more often encountered on walking along on a forest path.

 

Comma

 

The comma  only very superficially looks like a small tortoiseshell. The outer margins of its wings are characteristically jagged and with "tails". With  wings closed it resembles a dried leaf. The comma too belongs to the many-coloured spring butterflies.

 

Camberwell beauty or mourning cloak

 

The name mourning cloak suggests that it is this butterfly that has been  called the springtime ”black” butterfly. But the mourning cloak or Camberwell beauty appears black only superficially. Looking closer we see that the dominating colour of the wings is  dark brown instead, and a pretty pale yellow band runs along the wing margins. Inside it runs a black band that is densely studded with glossy blue spots. So this much about ”ancient knowledge”!

 

Old sayings and knowledge apart, you will find today’s knowledge about butterflies in the book „Eesti päevaliblikad – Estonian butterflies“.

 

 

The book helps you to know the butterflies in Estonia. It introduces their habitats and way of life, and offers pleasant reading too. Looduskalender believes this is the best butterfly book in the Nordic countries. Easy to use for a nature fan and a beautiful gift for the start of the butterfly year.

 

The butterfly book was still on sale last week; you can buy it from major booksellers or their online stores.