When I was not revelling in numerous species of terns yesterday (June 19th) I spent a happy hour on Po Toi trying to photograph some of the island’s stunning butterflies. One in particular I spent a while trying to sneak up on was the large, bright, and very active Red Lacewing Cethosia biblis: I’m glad I did, because I managed to get a few photos that almost do justice to this gorgeous insect.

The Red Lacewing is found from India to the Phillipines, and is a member of the Heliconiinae, a subfamily of the butterfly family Nymphalidae. It’s colloquially named - rather self-evidently - for the exquisite, ‘lace-like’ patterning on the underwings - which are much easier to see than the vivid red upperwings that the butterfly only seems willing to show off occasionally!