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Comma chameleon
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Sunday, 3 September 2017 12:24
The pupa goes one step further though. It looks quite similar to the pupa of a Silver-washed Fritillary (top image below - actually they are quite different now I have put them side by side) but it's a bit more variegated, less spiny and has few silvery patches. And a lot less chunkier. yeah they are very different. They both however, have these amazing 'mercury-effect' patches on them in very similar patterns that reflect the light like a mirror.
This really does give the impression of it having a hole right through it. You can particularly see this when you hold it up to the light.
Even the larvae are quite convincing bird-dropping mimics temporarily! I felt pretty bad that I had dislodged this beautiful thing and greatly reduced its chances of emerging as an adult but that is unfortunately a side effect of surveying - I'd never record anything if I was frightened of beating. I made an attempt to secure it back in place but I said to myself that the best thing I could do was photograph it and write a blog about it so that I could share with people just how fascinating they are.
In other news, I've breached half a million page views on here which I am very pleased with!!! Seven and a half years of blogging and nearly a 1000 posts. Here's to the next seven and a half years and all the amazing and bizarre wildlife that Sussex has to offer!
Posted in
Hi Graeme - wonderful to have sight of the larva, but quite understand your feelings re the disturbance. Thanks for writing about it here, so we can see it - and you have that record.
Congratulations on the page views and for blogging for 7 1/2 years and with nearly a 1,000 posts - I will endorse you for another seven and a half years to come ... take care and thanks for sharing and posting - Hilary