Recently I posted a shot of this species’ caterpillar. I was fortunate to find at least 15 adult males a few days ago at a different, lower, site in Korea where they appear about a month earlier. They were circling the football-pitch-sized scree in search of females. Only one seemed to have so far hatched, and I found her mating. as shown below. The pair were sometimes harassed by the others, but remained inseparable on the ground for the 5 hours I was there. As the day wore on, the males retreated to the surrounding trees and shrubs, some feeding on the single plant with flowers there (see third shot).
Parnassius species have many variations of size, markings, and location, and they are usually pretty scarce. They are also very trusting and so in great need of protection, especially as they are prized by collectors. Parnassius bremeri is quite well protected in Korea; it is also found in China and the Russian Far East. A quick search for “Parnassius” on EBay will give some idea of how well they are protected worldwide.
Specific Feedback Requested
All suggestions welcome.
Technical Details
D500 + 105mm macro
Shot 1: 1/4000 f10 ISO 2000 + diffused flash
Shot 2: 1/2000 f6.3 ISO 320
Shot 3: 1/500 f13 ISO 640
Topaz Denoise - PS Shadows and Highlights. For shot 1 also blurred the BG in PS and cropped more than the other 2.
Wow. . .wow. . wow, Mike. Stunning images! The detail, along with the various poses, create a fantastic story of these precious butterflies. Thanks also for the background.
Thanks for telling us the story and showing us such a terrific series. I can see why they’re popular with collectors, but that’s seriously a thing I don’t get. Why have a bunch of dead things in your house? My neighbors are hunters and like to fill their freezer with food, but they also festoon their walls with heads. What? That’s so weird. I don’t have cow and pig heads on my walls.
Anyway - the shot of them mating is my favorite. The fuzziness and the symmetry are really wonderful and the subtle shadows bring out the texture perfectly. Great that you have one with wings open, too. Beautiful markings and so pale. The feeding image is also pretty sweet. Thanks for hanging around there so long and bringing these back.
@Bill_Fach@linda_mellor@Shirley_Freeman@David_Bostock@Kris_Smith Thanks for your kind comments. @Kris_Smith - it’s weird indeed, Kris. And we don’t even eat butterflies! Collectors seem to treat them like postage stamps. Fortunately most kids love butterflies and will grow up with ideas that are not weird. I love how the Monarch seems to be making a comeback!
