Peacock Butterfly

Inachis io

Photos have been downgraded in size and quality for Internet bandwidth; copyright e-barrett

For identification of butterflies, both the top and side views are shown.

The eye patterns on its wings, to deter predators, resemble the "eyes" in peacock tail feathers, giving the brightly-coloured butterfly its common name

With closed wings, the peacock butterfly is dark brown to black and well-camouflaged, especially when hibernating through winter as an adult
   

 

  

Peacock butterfly caterpillars hatch in large communities, usually on nettles; initially they construct a large silk net to protect themselves from predators
 

When the young emerge from the silk web they are greyish with black spines, developing into black with white spots as they grow
 
The caterpillar on the right of this group is most unusual, with a colourless head and white spines