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Damaged Red Admiral


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I was tidying a Ceanothus in the garden this p.m. when this Red Admiral landed right in front of me and started feeding from a flower head.

 

He was sporting a damaged wing and while that is not unusual, I was a bit surprised to see how much of the wing was missing (I guess more than a third of the area) and how well he flew and manoeuvred in spite of the injury.

 

post-756-0-04416100-1506293360.jpg 

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That's beautifully captured :)

 

Can the wings grow back or can butterflies feel any pain when they become damaged?

 

I don't know Rich - it's a good question. I've seen sites that say they can and others that say they can't.  I keep saying that I will pursue it further but haven't got round to it. I think the scales on the wings are a bit like finger nails so I don't think they hurt. I've seen advice to trim the opposite wing to get a symmetrical shape when one is damaged and that included assurance that no pain was involved, but I've never tried it. 

There are people who keep wings from dead butterflies and use them to repair damage with a tiny spot of superglue, but again, I have never tried it.

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