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The European Peacock butterfly (Inachis io), more commonly known simply as the Peacock butterfly, is a well-known colourful butterfly
Butterfly

A butterfly is an insect of the Order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual Biological life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form....
, found in temperate Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
. It is the only member of the genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 Inachis which is sometimes included in Nymphalis
Nymphalis

Nymphalis is a genus of Nymphalidae butterflies, containing the tortoiseshells and relatives.Notable species are:*Mourning Cloak or Camberwell Beauty, Nymphalis antiopa...
. It should not be confused or classified with the "American peacocks" in the genus Anartia
Anartia

Anartia is a genus of butterfly in family Nymphalidae, and subfamily Nymphalinae, found in tropical and subtropical areas in the Americas. The butterflies are all known as "peacocks", although the common Inachis io is not in the same genus....
; these are not close relatives of the present species.






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The European Peacock butterfly (Inachis io), more commonly known simply as the Peacock butterfly, is a well-known colourful butterfly
Butterfly

A butterfly is an insect of the Order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual Biological life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form....
, found in temperate Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
. It is the only member of the genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 Inachis which is sometimes included in Nymphalis
Nymphalis

Nymphalis is a genus of Nymphalidae butterflies, containing the tortoiseshells and relatives.Notable species are:*Mourning Cloak or Camberwell Beauty, Nymphalis antiopa...
. It should not be confused or classified with the "American peacocks" in the genus Anartia
Anartia

Anartia is a genus of butterfly in family Nymphalidae, and subfamily Nymphalinae, found in tropical and subtropical areas in the Americas. The butterflies are all known as "peacocks", although the common Inachis io is not in the same genus....
; these are not close relatives of the present species. The peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring.

Reproduction and food

The butterfly hibernates
Hibernation

Hibernation is a state of inactivity and Metabolism depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate....
 over winter before laying its eggs in early spring, in batches of up to 500 at a time. The caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s, which are shiny black with six rows of barbed spikes and a series of white dots on each segment, hatch after about a week and feed on nettle
Nettle

Nettle is the common name for between 30-45 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution though mainly temperate distribution....
s and hop
Hop (plant)

Humulus, is a small genus of flowering plants, native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers often called cones, of one species are called hops, and are used as flavoring and Food additive#Categoriess, especially for brewing beer....
s.

The adult butterflies drink nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, including buddleia, sallows, dandelions, wild marjoram
Marjoram

Marjoram is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial plant herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. It is also called Sweet Marjoram or Knotted Marjoram and Majorana hortensis....
, danewort
Danewort

Danewort , also known as Dwarf Elder or European Dwarf Elder and Walewort is a herbaceous species of Elderberry, native to southern and central Europe and southwest Asia....
, hemp agrimony, and clover
Clover

Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes on mountains in the tropics....
; they also utilize tree sap and rotten fruit.

Habitat

The Peacock can be found in woods, fields, meadows, pastures, parks, and gardens, and from lowlands up to elevation. It is a relatively common butterfly seen in many European parks and gardens.

Gallery


External links

  • Photosynth of Peacock Butterfly
  • from the site
  • from the site