Dark Green Fritillary on Scout Scar

Dark Green Fritillary on bramble

The sun is up early and the day is warm and calm.  The first bramble flowers had opened and the warm sun released nectar and pollen.  Yesterday a breeze whipped flowers about and that doesn't suit larger butterflies like the fritillaries.  Today was perfect.
In taking photographs I wanted to show how the fritillary interacts with the bramble flowers.  How the proboscis  probes deep amongst the reproductive parts of the flower, seeking nectar.  Delicate butterfly in a balancing act amongst  ripping thorns of bramble- no wonder they won't fly when the wind blows.  There were bees attracted to the bramble flowers too. The plant is an important source of nectar.

---

The dark green fritillary began to emerge about ten days ago.  The high brown fritillary is just emerging and a smaller number will be found, mainly on Helsington Barrows.
This first sequence shows something of the bramble bush and the thorns that might tear the delicate wings of this dark green fritillary. The design of the patterned wing is dazzling, and that golden furry body is a wholly different texture.

In this second sequence  I'm focusing on butterfly and flower and its nectaring as its proboscis delves amongst stamens and anthers. When the butterfly is at rest its proboscis is coiled close to its head. This elastic feeding tube is unfurled for the butterfly to sip nectar.  The proboscis is slender, held in a curved position in the image below. 
My first close-up fritillary of the season gave me ample opportunity for photography, including a video where the fritillary clings to the bramble flower and sees off a bee.

Thanks to Chris Winnick of Butterfly Conservation for distinguishing features of the dark green and high brown fritillary.