These Legs Aren't Made For Walking

I've been photographing a comma butterfly today. They're a bit like dragonflies in that they keep coming back to the same perch.

Mine alternated between a gorgeous, shiny, heart-shaped black bryony leaf and a sloe. I shot it from every possible angle and got some very pretty images. I know that there are plenty of beautiful butterfly images on here so have gone for something different. Must admit it is hard not to use a complete pic of a butterfly in all its glory.

Commas belong to the Nymphalidae family, most have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies. Another characteristic is that many are cryptic, looking like dead leaves when their wings are folded.

Their forelegs are useless for walking as they have brushes instead of feet but these are used for smelling and tasting.

Three of the proper legs can be seen in my pic. The fuzzy brush feet are under the insect's eyes.