Duke of Burgundy aberration

[DaveO'B]

This is now the third time I've recorded this aberration at the same site in N. Yorkshire, having previously seen it in 2021 and 2023. This one was particularly stunning!

[bugboy]

Crikey, that's a spectacular looking Duke. It must be a genetic mutation...or there's something strange in the water!

[Padfield]

What a fantastic butterfly - and fantastic shots too. In that last one, you can see his dangly front legs. I've never seen those before in a Duke - the males just look as if they have four legs.

Guy

[DaveO'B]

What a fantastic butterfly - and fantastic shots too. In that last one, you can see his dangly front legs. I've never seen those before in a Duke - the males just look as if they have four legs.

Guy

Cheers Guy!
I think it's also the first time I've seen those vestigial legs so prominently on a male.

[David M]

That really is an epic underside aberration in that species, Dave.

[DaveO'B]

That really is an epic underside aberration in that species, Dave.

It certainly is! I feel incredibly lucky to have seen this not once, but three times!

[petesmith]

What an absolute stunner Dave! Superb, and very bizarre that the same aberration has occurred several times in different years - as Bugboy says you have to think that it might be genetic rather than environmentally induced. Fabulous!

[Katrina]

Interesting and beautiful find - congratulations

[Jack Harrison]

As it's from Yorkshire, the ab should be called [Theakston] Old Peculier.

Jack

[DaveO'B]

As it's from Yorkshire, the ab should be called [Theakston] Old Peculier.

Jack

As a fan of Old Peculier, I'll drink to that!