peacock butterfly

this year we were lucky to find a number of peacock butterflies Aglais io. although they are said to be common in these parts we rarely see them. i am not sure why this year was different but that didn't affect the joy of finding them and the fun of trying to photograph them as they moved from flower to flower, mostly hawkweeds, in the wind. while these shots clearly show the striking peacock like patterns and other colorful designs when you look closer you can see the bright spots at the end of the antennae. these are sensors called sensilla. they can sense not only smell but also wind speed. not only that but contain a circadian clock. it is truly fascinating that these tiny receptors are able to perform all these functions and more