Little Monsters - Part 28: Butterflies, flying bits of colour!

This post is a collection of similar but different species of butterflies that are quite common, though they are also quite easily spooked and somewhat difficult to approach closely. Let's take a close look at just what differences there are between these seemingly ephemeral creatures.
The top image of a Common Copper butterfly shows just how surprisingly hairy butterflies are, this helps them escape from predators by denying them good places to hold onto the butterfly.
Below we can see more of the orange and grey wings that are responsible for its name. Perched upon a small blossom of a daisy-like flower.

Another distinguishing feature are its jet black eyes.

Those eyes are shared by the Short Tailed Blue:

This butterfly has white wings with small tail like structures on the trailing edge of the rear pair of wings.
While the undersides of the wings are white, the top side is a dark blue! The alternating contrast makes them quite striking to watch as they fly.

From this angle the wings are slightly open and we can see the top surface of the wings. Perhaps it's getting ready to take off and get away from the camera!

Here the butterfly is resting on a young common clover blossom, showing just how tiny and delicate these little butterflies are!

Nearly identical in appearance the Pale Grass Blue, shares the white wings, though the upper surface is a light blue colour and the eyes have a lovely blue/green pattern.

I wouldn't be true to the title of the series if I didn't include some monstrous fact about these cute little butterflies. Check out the length of its tongue!

Keep in mind, the tongue still needs to reach the inside of the flower to get to the sweet nectar at the bottom!

Another fascinating thing that butterflies do with their tongues is to eat or lick mud and dirt!

It's adorably called "mud puddling".

The butterflies chief food source, nectar from flowers, is poor in salts and minerals. In some tropical areas where the soil itself may be poor in salts, butterflies can be seen drinking the tears directly from the eyes of turtles and alligators!

This last butterfly the local variant of the White Admiral (Ladoga camilla japonica) butterfly, from a different family of butterflies but it has the most wonderous patterns on its eyes!

This is one of my favourite shots of a butterfly that I've taken yet!

Also I'd like to thank @englishtchrivy for her encouragement and to whom I promised something a little cuter than usual! Check out her stuff especially if you are hungry, she has many quality posts about delicious foods!

Species Identification: 庭でよく見られるチョウ
and さいたま身近な生き物図鑑
Translations for names Wikipedia

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Also, if you like macro photography, check out some of the earlier posts in this series.

Little Monsters - Part I: Wolf Spiders
Little Monsters - Part II: Golden Orb Weaver
Little Monsters - Part III: Lynx Spiders!
Little Monsters - Part IV: Decorator Orb Weaver
Little Monsters - Part V: Black Back Paper Wasp
Little Monsters - Part VI: Dragonfly
Little Monsters - Part VII: Indian Fritallary
Little Monsters - Part VIII: Giant Japanese Hornet
Little Monsters - Part IX: Praying Mantis!
Little Monsters - Part X: Harlequin Ladybird!
Little Monsters - Part XI: Dragons!
Little Monsters - Part XII: Snails!
Little Monsters - Part XIII: Evil Weevils!
Little Monsters - Part XIV: Fantastic Phasmids!
Little Monsters - Part XV: To Bee or not to Bee?
Little Monsters - Part 16: Jumping Spiders!
Little Monsters - Part 17: Hawkmoth Caterpillars and Hawkmoths
Little Monsters - Part 18: Evil Doppelgangers - The Ant Mimic Spider
Little Monsters - Part 19: Hummingbird Hawkmoth!
Little Monsters - Part 20: Loud and Proud the Cicada!
Little Monsters - Part 21: Great Green Caterpillars!
Little Monsters - Part 22: Vespa mandarina japonica
Little Monsters - Part 23: Little Black Ants
Little Monsters - Part 24: Cranes and Robbers
Little Monsters - Part 25: Hidden in the Grass
Little Monsters - Part 26: Ammophila, Alien is real!
Little Monsters - Part 27: Bush Cricket

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