Meadow Brown hindwing underside black spots

[peterc]

I have just read Dave Goulson's excellent book 'A Buzz in the Meadow' which features a chapter on Meadow Browns which the author studied for his PhD some thirty years ago. Does anyone here have a view on the significance of the black spots on the hindwing undersides? It is possible that more males have them (the spots) than females because they may act as deflectors to predators. Females on the other hand being less active and spending much time feeding and egg-laying are perhaps more likely to have no such spots at all so that their wings provide a better camouflage. Variations may be more apparent in some locations more than others.

Peter

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Peter,
Not having seen the book, is there an image you can post for us ?
Thanks, Chris

[Roger Gibbons]

Coincidentally, I had a look at this book in Waterstones yesterday and didn't see any illustrations. I bought "501 French verbs" instead. No pictures in that, either.

Roger

[peterc]

Chris, The book will particularly suit you because much content focuses on a farm or meadow the author owns in central France.

Roger, I have the kindle edition so I don't know about illustrations in hardback or paperback. A good read though and I learnt a lot from it.

Peter

[Padfield]

Given the universality of at least vestigial eyespots in all Satyrids, I'd suggest (on the basis of no scientific evidence whatsoever) that the proto-Satyrid had well-developed eyespots on all wings and that species like the meadow brown have since largely lost them. Looking at it that way round, females would have been under more selective pressure to lose them than males. Just a thought.

Guy

[Charles Nicol]

Coincidentally, I had a look at this book in Waterstones yesterday and didn't see any illustrations. I bought "501 French verbs" instead. No pictures in that, either.

Roger

when you get to the end there is always this one:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5 ... 3,200_.jpg

[Roger Gibbons]

Coincidentally, I had a look at this book in Waterstones yesterday and didn't see any illustrations. I bought "501 French verbs" instead. No pictures in that, either.

Roger

when you get to the end there is always this one:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5 ... 3,200_.jpg

I don't touch verbs unless they've been fully conjugated. You can catch all sorts of diseases from non-conjugated verbs. And I don't use subjunctives unless they've been disinfected.

Wandering a little off topic here. It's been a slow news day.

Roger

[David M]

Wandering a little off topic here. It's been a slow news day.

Sure has, which is sad because the article regarding the demise of the Wall on the Twitter link is worthy of discussion, but no-one has opened a thread on it*

*PS - when it comes to scientific hypotheses, I do not consider it to be my place to be the one to initialise a debate (given that I am a mere peasant compared to the Peers of the Realm on here).