Special Pieces: Delicate Bond

As adults, many butterfly species are pollinators. They feed on the nutrient-rich nectar of flowers and help spread pollen from plant to plant, enabling their reproduction. But plants also have a vital role to play in previous stages of a butterfly’s lifecycle. Most butterfly caterpillars are herbivores and they depend on a very specific set of plant species (their “host plants”) to provide them with their nutritional and chemical requirements. 

This picture shows a Dione vanillae butterfly perching on its host plant, Passiflora caerulea. The delicate bond that exists between the two species becomes palpable in an instant captured on camera.

Technical information: Macro photography. Artificial lighting through the use of 4 speedlight flashes (key light, fill light, backlight, background). DSLR camera with 105mm 2.8 lens.

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Special edition for the 1of1 on Tezos event. #1of1