Jezabel, but not a Painted Lady

I could have put this on an Invertebrates page but then I would have missed using that title, which would have annoyed me intensely.

The allusions in the title refer to the wife of Ahab (king of Israel not he of the Pequod) who seems rumoured to have put herself around and about more than somewhat.  However this blog eschews all such matters in favour of butterflies.  We have been visited recently by Imperial Jezabels (Delias harpalyce) and not by either Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) nor the European Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).

The Jezabels are rather flashy butterflies.  In these images they are feeding (I think) on nectar from our Dahlias.  In the top image note the presence of a bee just above the butterfly.

In support of my thought about feeding, in the next two images the proboscis is clearly visible and unfurled for action.  I am beginning to define a decent insect shot as one in which the proboscis is clearly visible!

Comments

Denis Wilson said…
Hi Martin'
Glad you are sticking up for the Jezebels. They get a terrible "rep". Must be all those British Grammar-school trained Taxonomists back in the Colonial era.
I have had them and the "Common Jezebel" Delias nigrina here this summer. Beautiful things.
But my long lens is broken, so I simply cannot photograph them. They hang out at the top of my Buddlejas - too high to get close to.
You have done very well with that nice curled proboscis.
The Jezebels refuse to come in to Watermelon and Apples on my bird feeder, But the Yellow Admirals and the Browns love them.
So they do not live up to their "easy" reputation at all.
Jezebels? Hardly.
Cheers
Denis
19 February 2011 at 22:23:00 GMT+11
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