Butterflies of the World - Lifecycle, Ecology, Taxonomy, Conservation, Photography, Butterfly Holidays, Photo Galleries, Book Reviews and more.........
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of Britain & Europe
 
Peacock
Inachis io LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - NYMPHALINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Peacock Inachis io, male, Broughton, Hampshire, England
 
Introduction
 
The Peacock is justifiably considered by many to be the most beautiful butterfly in the world. It's beauty was remarked upon as early as 1634 when Sir Theodore de Mayerne, physician to King Charles 1, noted that the "eyes" on the wings of the Peacock butterfly "shine curiously like stars, and do cast about them sparks of the colours of the Rainbow".
 
The butterfly is distributed throughout most of Europe, but is absent from northern Scandinavia, and from most of southern Spain and Portugal. Beyond Europe it's range extends across temperate Asia to Japan.
 
Peacocks often close their wings when settled, but if disturbed suddenly re-open them, producing a rasping or hissing sound, created by rubbing the veins on the forewings and hindwings together. The sudden appearance of the “peacock eyes”, in conjunction with this hiss, probably functions primarily to startle attacking birds. The effect is short-lived however, and having recovered it's senses, the bird may still attack the butterfly. The peacock eyes then serve to divert the attack away from the butterfly's vulnerable body, and onto the outer part of the wings - butterflies can continue to fly normally, even with large chunks pecked out of their wings.
 
In a study by Stockholm University, the ocelli of some Peacocks were blanked out with a marker pen. When exposed to blue tits, 13 out of 20 were attacked and eaten. A control group of Peacocks with the ocelli intact fared much better, with only a single butterfly attacked out of a group of 34. It can be concluded that in 97 percent of encounters with blue tits, the ocelli are effective as a deterrent, and the butterfly will escape unharmed.
 
Peacock Inachis io, female, Selborne, Hampshire, England
 
Habitats
 
In Britain the Peacock is a widespread and common resident, which often visits gardens in late summer. The butterflies go into hibernation in September, over-wintering in hollow tree trunks, wood stacks, farm buildings, rock-crevices and other locations where they can find shelter and darkness.
 
In early spring they awaken, and are often seen basking on bare earth on paths through woodland, along riverbanks, disused railway cuttings, old quarries, and farmland.
 
Breeding takes place mainly in woodland glades, along railway cuttings, lightly wooded riverbanks, and similar moist, sheltered and sunny situations.
 
Peacock Inachis io, Old Winchester Hill NNR, Hampshire, England
 
Lifecycle
 
In April and May, female Peacocks can often be seen flying around clumps of stinging nettle Urtica dioica in woodland glades, country lanes and farmland. They eventually settle under the upper leaves of the nettles, where they lay their dull green spherical eggs in large heaps.
 
Immediately after hatching, the greyish larvae spin a silken web on the upper leaves of the nettles, and live within this during the early instars, venturing out to feed in warm weather. When young, they are highly prone to attack by the parasitoid Tachinid fly Zenilla vulgaris. The grubs feed and develop within the larvae until they are almost full grown, when they start to devour the vital organs and the larvae die. At least 95 percent of larvae are parasitised in this way.
 
The fully grown larva is solitary in behaviour. It is a handsome velvety black creature, covered with black spikes, and studded with tiny white tubercles.
 
The pupa is pale green with a dark diagonal streak across the wing cases, and can be found hanging from woody stems in the vicinity of nettles.
 
Peacock Inachis io, male, Swanage, Dorset, England
 
Adult behaviour
 
Peacocks emerge in late July or August, and nectar at thistles, knapweeds, marjoram, hemp agrimony, ragwort and bramble flowers. They generally spend a few days very close to the emergence site, but then disperse and visit gardens where they nectar at michaelmas daisies, ice plant and buddleia. In September they return to the countryside, and visit flowery grasslands to nectar at devil's bit scabious.
 
By late September they enter hibernation, usually at woodland sites, where they spend the winter months hidden in hollow tree trunks, log piles, farm out-buildings and other cool dark places. They re-awaken on the first sunny days of spring - sometimes as early as January ( e.g. I watched a Peacock basking on a rock in Stansted Forest on 26th January 2008 ), but early-mid March is more typical.
 
During April males establish small territories along hedgerows, wood edges, woodland rides, or on scrubby downland, where they await passing females. They chase fiercely after all passing insects including bumble bees, bee-flies, Commas and other Peacocks.
 
In April 2006 I watched 2 males that had set up territories about 5 metres apart, along a ride in Stansted Forest. One male had been chasing after a Comma, and encroached into the territory of the other male Peacock. A sortie then took place, both males spiralling rapidly to a height of about 20 metres before separating and returning to their original territories. On another occasion I watched a Comma defending it's own territory against a Peacock. Despite the greater size of the Peacock, which repeatedly attempted to occupy the territory, it was successfully ousted by the Comma.
 
At Botley Wood in April 2007, I watched an aerial battle between a male Comma and a male Peacock, both of who believed they had "ownership" of a particular birch log. The pair engaged in battle many times during a period of about 20 minutes, after which the Peacock was driven off, leaving the Comma to occupy the territory.
 
In spring Peacocks will use almost any available nectar source, including blackthorn, bugle, bluebell, cuckoo flower, sallow catkins, ground ivy, daisies, wood anemone and dandelion.
 
Inachis io basking on oak trunk, Stansted Forest, 9th February 2008
 
                                                       
Almost every British and European species of butterfly is declining rapidly in numbers, due in most cases to loss or degradation of habitats.
 
You can help to reverse the decline by supporting conservation organisations which purchase and manage habitats as nature reserves, and which lobby government at local, national and international levels, often very successfully, to bring about changes in farming, forestry and urban development policies.
 
Please contact the conservation organisations for advice on how you can help protect British and European butterflies and their habitats. You may be able to offer practical help e.g. by monitoring butterfly populations or helping to manage nature reserves. Donations to these organisations enable them to employ ecologists and biologists. Even if you are unable to provide such help, merely having your name on the membership list can be a powerful tool for conservation organisations wishing to demonstrate the levels of support they have for their policies.

 

 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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