Kaisermantel Auf Sonnenhut

A silver-washed fritillary is perched on a purple sun-hat with its wings folded. The silvery sheen of the underside of its wings stands out against the dark background. The contrast between the upper and lower surfaces of the wings is quite distinct. The upper surface is a vivid orange with black spots and stripes – the classic fritillary pattern. The underside of the hindwings, by contrast, is greenish with those silvery, washed-out bands to which the species owes its English name: the silver-washed fritillary. The reason is quite pragmatic. The upper side serves a communicative purpose; it plays a role in courtship and in recognising conspecifics. The underside provides camouflage: when the butterfly folds its wings together, as in the photo, the bright upper side is completely concealed and the greenish-silvery pattern blends in visually with the foliage and reflections of light. A perched butterfly, an invisible butterfly – at least from a bird’s-eye view. This works on the same…