Nothing stands still in the constantly changing natural world. As we wander through forest, field or along mountain paths in summer the actual cycle that Nature represents, through flower, insect, bird and wildlife might go relatively unnoticed but the dramatic explosion of life that results from all their very particular activities certainly should not. Key players in summer are butterflies. All 165,000 different species of them! The term Lepidoptera literally means “wings with scales” and, in fact, the entire wing surface is covered with scales which contain pigments, the origin of colours and designs that characterize their appearance and make many of them easy to recognise. The exotic wings also play a crucial role in survival using sophisticated control strategies to warn predators of their toxicity. 

Butterflies have a vital role to play in ensuring the multiplicity and variety of many other animals and plants and it’s this coexistence of plants and pollinators that continues to guarantee the magnificent summer spectacle before our eyes. It means that in fields just a short stroll from our towns visitors can appreciate a very special and natural extravaganza in which butterflies are an all too obvious feature. We hope in the accompanying photographs we’ve managed to capture at least some of the fleeting kaleidoscope of colour on display within their natural setting.