Diana Fritillary Butterfly And Fringed Gentian

by Linda K Powell

Title

Diana Fritillary Butterfly And Fringed Gentian

Artist

Linda K Powell

Medium

Painting - Watercolor On Hot Press Illustration Board

Description

The Diana Fritillary is often called the most beautiful of all the fritillaries-- and for good reason. The male's wings are dark near their base but toward their outer margins they become a breathtaking, vivid orange color. The female butterfly is just as beautiful, but her coloration is entirely different from the male's. In fact, it is so completely different from the bright hues of the male butterfly, that the two Diana Fritillaries look like they couldn't possibly be related to each other. The female butterfly soars through the sky on wings of black and iridescent blue. Bluish-white spots mark her forewings in an interesting pattern. Indeed, the female Diana, like the male, is a joy to behold. However, in addition to making her one of the loveliest creatures of the woodlands, the Diana's delightful coloration also serves an important purpose. With her blue wings, the Diana Fritillary mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail, a butterfly which predators find very distasteful to eat. Thus, creatures who might actually enjoy consuming the Diana Fritillary avoid her, since they mistakenly think they have encountered a Pipevine Swallowtail. Unfortunately, today the resplendent Diana Fritillaries are becoming scarce in the American countryside. As modern civilization reaches into the woodlands, the Diana's natural home is too often destroyed. However, these bright spots of color can still be found in the Great Smoky Mountains wherever forests stand unharmed.

Please note the "Fine Art America" watermark will not appear on the painting or any print reproduction.

Artwork Copyright © 1982 Wind River Studios Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the Copyright. WRSH Stock Number XB07667

Uploaded

April 25th, 2022

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