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The Peacock butterfly Aglais io is a fabulous butterfly to rear. Watch those cute spikey caterpillars grow and turn into one of the UK’s most gorgeous butterfly species. These butterflies are varied in habitat and so could be released once grown.
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The peacock butterfly – Aglais io, is one of the most recognisable and loved butterflies in the UK. It is however also found throughout Europe and temperate Asia. This butterfly is loved for its vibrant wing patterns and colours, which resemble the eye spots on a peacock’s feathers, hence its name.
The peacock butterfly’s wingspan ranges from 60 to 75 millimetres. Its upper wings are a striking mix of red, blue, yellow, and black, adorned with large eye spots that serve as a defence mechanism against predators. When threatened, the butterfly can display these eye spots, which can startle or confuse potential predators. The undersides of the wings are much darker, providing excellent camouflage when the butterfly is at rest with its wings closed.
The Peacock butterfly, like other butterflies and moths undergoes complete metamorphosis, with its life cycle comprising four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult. Females lay clusters of eggs on the underside of leaves of host plants, primarily nettles. The caterpillars which hatch are black with spiny, white-dotted bodies. Whilst small they form communal webs as they feed on the host plant leaves.
After several weeks of feeding, the caterpillars pupate, attaching themselves to a suitable surface where they will transform into adult butterflies. The pupal stage lasts for about three weeks, after which the adults emerge. The adults are most commonly seen from early spring to late autumn.
Peacock butterflies are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, including gardens, woodlands, meadows, and hedgerows. They are particularly drawn to areas abundant in nectar-rich flowers, such as buddleia, thistles, and dandelions. Their larval food plant, namely nettles are common throughout the UK and have ultimate helped this beautiful butterfly survive in the urban environment. In the winter, peacock butterflies hibernate in sheltered locations like tree hollows, sheds, or even houses.
These butterflies play a significant role in pollination, making them important contributors to the ecosystem. Additionally, their striking appearance and behaviour make them a favourite among butterfly enthusiasts and nature observers.
Our Next-Day Guaranteed service promises same-day packing and delivery before 1 pm the following day for all orders placed. For standard livestock delivery, we dispatch orders within 1-5 working days, and once dispatched, your order will arrive in less than 24 hours.
We pride ourselves on our attention to detail- it’s a priority that your critters are safe & snugly packed.
When you receive your order, open it up and locate the transport container your pet is inside. Gently ease out your pet into the home you’ve prepared for it.
Ordering pets online can be nerve-wracking, we get it. Our 7-Day live guarantee is our way to ease nerves over the purchasing process.
We’re confident in the quality husbandry, shipping, and packaging of our livestock. On the rare occasion an animal arrives in poor condition, we will provide credit for the cost of that animal. If all animals in the shipment arrive in poor condition, we will also provide credit for the postage.
We try to make it as easy as possible to help any unwell critters, and ensure you can get your money back. There are a couple of steps to go through before a refund can be issued.
If you’ve received an unwell animal in the mail:
1. If it is safe to do so, (your pet is not medically significant or harmful) please remove the animal from its transport container, ideally onto your hand. We ask this as invertebrates, particularly insects, are experts at ‘playing dead’.
2. To provide you with the best advice going forward and to confirm the condition of your pet, we kindly request a short video of the animal in question before your refund can be processed. This can be uploaded on our ‘live guarantee refunds form’, or you can email it straight to us.
3. We typically respond within 24 hours, but please allow 1-3 working days for a response. Once it’s confirmed that you are eligible for a refund, we’ll get process the credit to your account.
We’ll need this information to reach us within 7 days after you’ve received your pet. We cannot provide any live guarantee to animals that have been refused, returned, or not collected.
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