Four–footed three

I take my camera for a walk along the lakeshore just as others might take their dogs for a walk. My guess is that camera walkers and dog walkers will often see different things. On yesterday’s walk, I saw three species of four–footed butterflies. Do dogs spook butterflies?

Also known as brush–footed butterflies, members of this group stand on only four feet; over time their former front two legs have been reduced to small brushes. The group is large and has many colourful members. Seen on this walk were a Green Comma, a Mourning Cloak, and a Lorquin’s Admiral.

This Green Comma alighted on a beach and began to sip nutrients. In this view, the foot number is not evident.

This is the same butterfly as shown above. That it has only two legs on the nearside is evident. Commas gain their name from a small white comma–shaped mark on the underside of the rear underwing.

The Mourning Cloak is unusual in that it can live a whole year and hibernate through the winter. It gains its name from the match between its colours and those of a cloak traditionally worn in parts of northern Europe during periods of mourning.

The underwings of the Mourning Cloak are not nearly as colourful, but in this view with its wings raised, the four legs can be seen, as can its extended tongue.

As with the two butterflies, above, the Lorquin’s Admiral is frequently seen sipping nutrients from moist ground. However, it also often perches in trees, apparently to bask in sunlight. This side view clearly shows its four legs.