Marbled White Butterfly

We're pleased to have found a pyramidal orchid in the wilded area just outside our allotment gate - it's the first year we've ever seen it. Whilst looking for it in the tall grass I stumbled across this lovely Marbled White Butterfly (Melanargia galathea).

It's rather stunning and this was a particularly fresh-looking individual - beautiful. I wouldn't have known whether it was male or female until it closed it's wings to reveal it's underside.

Still beautiful and because the pattern is more brown than black, this would appear to be a female. She may well have only recently emerged and is looking for a grassy area to mate and drop her eggs (yes, drop them. No careful placement for this butterfly!). The caterpillars will eat their way out of the eggs about 3 weeks later and then hibernate until next March, so it's good that we leave that area of ground wild for them. They are not a problem for the allotment as the caterpillars eat grasses.

And, here's the orchid.