The Common Birdwing, Thailand’s largest butterfly with a wingspan over 6 inches. We found it at a place we christened “Leaky Hosepipe”. The hosepipe in question was by the entrance to Chiang Dao wildlife reserve in northern Thailand, and attracted thousands of mud-puddling butterflies at the end of the dry season. Thailand March/April 2004

The Fivebar Swordtail, perhaps the showiest of the so-called “Kite” Swallowtails here. This was also at “Leaky Hosepipe”, where in two short visits we photographed 61 different species. Thailand March/April 2004

The Mapwing, common in the northern hills. The beauty of this unusually patterned butterfly (and perhaps of all butterflies) comes from the exact symmetry between the two pairs of wings. Thailand March/April 2004

The Common Sergeant. Many butterflies in this region were first studied by English army officers, who tended to give them names based on military ranks or aristocratic titles. Thailand March/April 2004

This very rare Hairstreak is known locally as the “Grey Tinsel”. Its tiny hairy legs are reminiscent of the South American Metalmark genus Sarota. Thailand March/April 2004

The Blue Admiral, related to the European Comma butterfly, is common northwards to Japan but rare as far south as Thailand. Thailand March/April 2004

This Acraeid butterfly used to be found only in India and Sri Lanka, but in recent years has spread across parts of South East Asia. Thailand March/April 2004

The Common Tiger makes a nice picture as it feeds from a dead seedpod with another fresh pod hanging nearby. Thailand March/April 2004

This little Hedge Blue is much more heavily spotted here in the southern jungles than its sister-subspecies in the northern hills. Thailand March/April 2004

The Plain Earl, one of many confusingly similar species in the Nymphalid tribe Euthaliini. . In this one the male and female are completely different from each other. Thailand March/April 2004

The Southern Festoon, one of the earliest spring butterflies in Eastern Europe. This year, in an unusually late and cool spring, fairly fresh specimens were still flying at the end of May. Hungary April/May 2004

The Clouded Apollo. Most Apollo butterflies (Parnassius) are confined to high altitudes or northern climes, but this one is found over large areas from Central Europe to the Middle East. Hungary April/May 2004

This little Grizzled Skipper posed helpfully on the Grizzled Skipper page of Collins’ Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe. Hungary April/May 2004

The Chestnut Heath, one of several Heath species common in Hungary during the spring. This picture, like many others on our trip, was taken on a damp, overcast day with the butterfly asleep in its customary position on a grass stem. Hungary April/May 2004

This slightly foggy picture was identified by the Hungarian expert, Dr Zsolt Bálint, as the Zephyr Blue, a species which is very rare in Hungary. It was taken in the Bakony Hills, and is apparently the first record in Hungary west of the Danube. Hungary April/May 2004

The well-known Swallowtail, found all over Europe, temperate Asia and North America. Spain July 2004

The Lesser Purple Emperor, at the south-western end of its range in the Spanish Pyrenees. The picture shows the wonderful purple iridescence which appears when a wing is viewed at an angle. Spain July 2004

Weaver’s Fritillary, one of about 23 species of Fritillary found in the Spanish Pyrenees in mid-July, the peak of the summer butterfly season. Spain July 2004

The widespread Comma butterfly, with its characteristic jagged wings and “c” mark on the hindwing underside. Spain July 2004

The rather extravagantly named Agenjo’s Anomalous Blue (“Anomalous” because the upperside is not blue but brown), one of the last European butterflies to be formally described (in 1965) and one of the most localised, confined to a few places in the Catalan Pyrenees. Spain July 2004