This is a Yellow Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa itea). Also known as Australian Admiral Butterfly. South Eastern Australia. Apparently it really like stinging nettles and I have plenty of them, popping up in my garden and growing profusely between the paddocks of lucerne. It is not an uncommon butterfly.
Knowing nothing about butterflies, I was a little perplexed because I couldn’t see how this could be a ‘yellow’ admiral butterfly. I couldn’t see any yellow at all. They mystery was solved by a visit to the ‘net. What you see here is the underside of the wing. The butterfly looks totally different when its wings are down. Click here to see.
Isn’t nature wonderful?
AT PATHO 