Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Master of Disguise: The Blue Admiral Butterfly of Japan (Photos)

These photos of a Blue Admiral (Kaniska canace) Butterfly were taken at a castle ruins in northern Okinawa, Japan.

The reason I call this guy a master of disguise is they show up and disappear like some kind of ninja.  You could easily mistake one for a falling leave.


When they land near the bark of a tree or on fallen leaves, you can't spot them.


Their camouflage works well in the in the forest where light and shadows can be tricky.


These Blue Admirals can be found in Japan, Korea, Russia, Sir Lanka, Indonesia, Burma and India according to WIKIPEDIA.

Today was the first time I ever saw one, to the best of my knowledge.  But, I could be mistaken.  See, the reason they call these master of disguise butterflies Blue Admirals is,  because they are really blue, sometimes, I guess.  Next time I go back up north,  I'll see if I can shoot a blue one for you.







4 comments:

Unknown said...

No, I don't suppose many would suspect that a brown butterfly was a Blue Admiral. I know I wouldn't.

RyukyuMike said...

FishHawk,
The thing's driving me wild, trying to figure out if I've already shot a blue one before. Somebody should organize my files. Dang it !

Sherry said...

Wow, they're camouflaged! I'm not sure I like it, since I personally think butterflies need to been seen and their colorful beauty appreciated. They remind me of moths, but much prettier :)

RyukyuMike said...

Sherry,
Yup, this one surprised me. I would have guessed it was a moth.