If it hadn’t been moving, I am pretty sure that I would not have spotted this Common Buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) on Friday at Huntley Meadows Park. The butterfly was perfectly camouflaged among all of the fallen leaves and even in this cropped image you have to look hard to see it.
I am also including a copy of the original image, in which the butterfly is even harder to find. The image reminds me of some of the complicated jigsaw puzzles that my Mom used to like to do when I was a child. I remember one puzzle that was a circular one depicting a plate of spaghetti. Needless to say, my Mom had a lot of patience and persistence.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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This is such a beautiful butterfly, Mike! I can see how easily it could be missed. Nice catch!
The effectiveness of the camouflage is really remarkable in this context. A fair bit of tattering in the right upper wing, but not too bad for this late in the season.
One of our favorite butterflies!