This is a story about the Red-base Jezebel, a lovely and very common butterfly often seen late/early in the year. It often appears in great numbers, and is even more conspicuous as many other butterflies are not present that late in the year.
Here is its distinctive caterpillar.
And why is it called a Jezebel? I have two meanings for that:
1 : the Phoenician wife of Ahab who according to the account in I and II Kings pressed the cult of Baal on the Israelite kingdom but was finally killed in accordance with Elijah's prophecy. 2 an impudent, shameless, or morally unrestrained woman.
ok, maybe 3. A flighty colourful pretty butterfly. Its wings are black, white, yellow and red colours.
And its funky looking caterpillar feeds on Sweet Viburnum (Viburnumodoratissimum).
