Dundee City

The Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io) is amongst the first butterflies to emerge, still, I was surprised to find one sunning itself on my doorstep this morning!
After a period of such unusually cold, harsh weather, it seems odd that it would stir so early from its winter slumber. I took the insect indoors and fed it on chopped apple/sugar solution, letting it fly around indoors for a few weeks.

When opening its wings to display the startling eye-spots, it can rub its wings together to make a hissing noise, before quickly closing its wings again.

The undersides of the Peacock's wings are an exquisite velvet tapestry of scales: metallically marbled with inky-blue black, spangled with flecks of orange and yellow and exotically tiger-striped.

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

The Peacock Butterfly normally emerges from hibernation from late March/April and the velvety-black, spiny larvae feed predominantly on Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).

The Peacock's scientific name 'Inachis io' refers to the Greek river god Inachus and to his daughter Io (a priestess of Hera in Argos). Hera set the all-seeing and many-eyed giant Argus Panoptes to watch over Io and prevent her seduction by Zeus (a task at which Argus fails).