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Heteronympha merope merope (male), in the garden yesterday. There are heaps of them atm.
They rest with wings closed, so it's difficult to get the more colourful upper wings
D7000 300mm x1.7TC Tripod
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"The Common Brown Butterfly has an interesting biology. Depending on the climate the females delay the development of their ovaries sometimes for as long as 4 months. They may also aestivate, that is, hide away during the heat of the summer; a reverse hibernation. In Canberra males and females emerge from the pupa mostly in early December. Males may be seen flying sometimes until February. Females may be seen throughout summer through into April. Egg laying takes place mostly during March. The females are able to store seminal fluid for months and fertilise their eggs as they lay them sometimes months after all the males have died. In hotter environments, say West Wyalong, NSW, males and females emerge at about the same time in early November but very few females can be seen. By January very few males are surviving and very few females can be seen and the females that can be found all have undeveloped ovaries and have all mated. In late March there are no males but many females and all have developed ovaries and are laying fertile eggs. A few females can survive to the end of May. The females avoid the extremely desiccating conditions of summer by aestivating and do not lay eggs until the rains of autumn have improved the quality of the available grass.
Ted Edwards 2001
CSIRO Entomology
Canberra "
They rest with wings closed, so it's difficult to get the more colourful upper wings
D7000 300mm x1.7TC Tripod
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
"The Common Brown Butterfly has an interesting biology. Depending on the climate the females delay the development of their ovaries sometimes for as long as 4 months. They may also aestivate, that is, hide away during the heat of the summer; a reverse hibernation. In Canberra males and females emerge from the pupa mostly in early December. Males may be seen flying sometimes until February. Females may be seen throughout summer through into April. Egg laying takes place mostly during March. The females are able to store seminal fluid for months and fertilise their eggs as they lay them sometimes months after all the males have died. In hotter environments, say West Wyalong, NSW, males and females emerge at about the same time in early November but very few females can be seen. By January very few males are surviving and very few females can be seen and the females that can be found all have undeveloped ovaries and have all mated. In late March there are no males but many females and all have developed ovaries and are laying fertile eggs. A few females can survive to the end of May. The females avoid the extremely desiccating conditions of summer by aestivating and do not lay eggs until the rains of autumn have improved the quality of the available grass.
Ted Edwards 2001
CSIRO Entomology
Canberra "
)
A HAPPY PENTAX USER
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