What is the name of the black butterfly? Beautiful butterflies of our planet

The moth butterfly is a pest of fruit trees; there are many species of it. The most common moths are: winter moth, pine moth, gooseberry moth, bird cherry moth, greenish moth, peeled moth, etc.

What does a butterfly look like?

The butterfly has a thin body, has no eyes, a spiral-shaped proboscis, and is poorly developed. Males have feathery antennae, while females have thin, bristle-like antennae. The limbs are thin. The wings are wide, triangular, their span is from 30 mm to 50 mm. The color is often inconspicuous, in most cases it harmonizes with the habitat to provide camouflage.

Moth butterflies fly mainly at night, but some species also fly during the day. Females of some varieties do not have well-developed wings and cannot fly. Emerging from pupae that are on the ground, they climb up the tree trunk by crawling for further reproduction.

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What does a moth caterpillar look like?

The caterpillar is about 65 mm long, the body without any hairs, has three pairs of thoracic legs and two pairs of abdominal legs. More often found on fruit trees. The caterpillars feed quite variedly: tree buds, foliage, buds and flowers of ornamental plants.

The butterfly got its name due to the way its caterpillars move. It moves in this way: the caterpillar crawls, bending its body in the form of an arc, then pulls the back of the body towards the head. After which it secures itself with its hind legs, straightens a little and throws out the front part of its body, as if measuring the distance traveled with its spans. By alternating movements in this way, the caterpillar is able to move quite quickly.

For camouflage, it uses “mimicry”, that is, it can take a pose that exactly copies a twig, stem or part of a leaf.

Moths are pests that, if they accumulate in large numbers, can cause huge losses to trees in the garden and forests.

How do they winter

Moths overwinter depending on the species:

• Winter, greenish, bird cherry, peeled - in the form of larval eggs on the bark of plant shoots (the base of the buds);
• Flower, silkworm - brown-striped, fruit - pupae on the surface of the ground;

Those species that spend the winter in the egg stage, caterpillars appear in early spring. After fruit trees bloomed, pupates in top layer soil. In September-October, butterflies fly out of the pupae.

In species that overwinter in pupae, butterflies emerge in the month of May, after which they lay eggs. The emerging caterpillars feed on leaves throughout the warm period, after which they go to winter in September-October.

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Instructions

Hives are one of the most common butterflies in central Russia. They can be found everywhere: in city squares, parks, forests and fields. They got their name in honor of nettles, since they appear wherever this plant can be found. They appear in early spring and remain until late summer. Overwintering urticaria can sometimes be found in well-heated rooms.

The wings of urticaria have a brick-brown color with yellowish intervals. There are relatively large black spots against a bright background; the bases of the wings are also black. The basal parts of the wings are dark brown. The outer edges of the wings have crescent-shaped teeth and projections decorated with blue spots. The wingspan of urticaria butterflies is 40-50 mm. People sometimes call these butterflies chocolate butterflies. Interestingly, hives are able to distinguish the color red.

Male wrens are practically no different from females. In addition, it is practically impossible for ordinary people to distinguish by eye the relatives of urticaria - polyflora and burdock.

Nettle caterpillars can usually be found on nettle leaves. They have a dark, almost black color with yellow longitudinal lines, and their bodies are dotted with peculiar spines. During the summer, two or three generations of new butterflies are hatched. During this period, the caterpillars molt several times and each time increase in size.

The pupation of urticaria occurs in a surprising way. The caterpillar hangs upside down, using a specific glue to attach it to the leaf. Soon the shell falls off and an angular pupa emerges. She remains in this position for two to three weeks. When the pupa finally bursts, a hive emerges with very short wings that grow in a matter of minutes.

The admiral butterfly (lat. Vanessa atalanta) is one of the most beautiful daytime butterflies from the nymphalidae family. Along with polyflora, urticaria and peacock's eye, it belongs to the category of Angloptera. This insect was discovered by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. He named this species of butterfly Atalanta in honor of the daughter of the mythological hero Scheneus, who was famous for his fast running and extraordinary beauty.

Appearance of the admiral butterfly

Butterfly admiral - enough large insect. The length of its wing reaches 3.5 cm, and its wingspan reaches 6 cm.

The bright and elegant outfit of this butterfly - black wings and a red border - resembles admiral's stripes.

The color of the wings of this butterfly varies from black to dark brown. There is a red stripe in the middle of the front wings. Above it, like stars, are white spots. The edges of the second pair of wings of the admiral butterfly are decorated with a bright red trim. There are black peas on it. This insect is also distinguished by a double blue spot near the body.

If you look at such a butterfly from below, you can see that the upper pattern is duplicated on its front wings. The bottom pair is usually brown in color and covered with a pattern of dots and dashes. The caterpillars of this insect are white in color with yellowish spots, spines and dots all over the body, but they do not have a longitudinal stripe.

Butterfly Admiral: general information

The Admiral is a diurnal migratory butterfly. Its populations in the latitudes of Russia are replenished by individuals that arrived from the south. Most of them come from North Africa. Although butterflies migrate in flocks, they fly one after another one by one in one direction. These insects gather together very rarely. Therefore, the admiral butterfly can be called a lonely wanderer.

After arrival, female individuals lay 1 egg on the leaves of plants, which are subsequently consumed as food by future offspring.

The caterpillars of this butterfly, emerging from eggs, develop from May to August. They live in the leaves of the same plants that they feed on: nettles, hops and thistles.

Adult butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers, as well as the sap of trees, fruits and berries. The elongated proboscis of these insects, resembling a spiral, is placed in the very center of the flower to obtain food. Most admiral butterflies, which were born at the end of summer, go south in the autumn season. There they breed a new generation and then die.

The lifespan of these insects is short - about six months. In spring, young butterflies fly to the places where their parents gave birth to continue their species. However, some representatives of these insects remain to spend the winter. They flutter until late autumn, and sometimes until frost. In the cold season, these butterflies climb deeper under the bark of trees or into deep crevices where frosts cannot reach them.

In early spring, when there is late snow, warmed by the bright and high sun, such butterflies emerge from their winter shelters and fly in places protected from the wind. The population of this butterfly species is subject to certain changes in numbers. Despite the fact that in some years they occur in large quantities, in general, the admiral butterfly is quite rare. It is listed in the Red Book.

Many have seen this butterfly: large and beautiful diurnal insect often found in the middle zone. The butterfly received the name “mourning bird” for the dark color of its wings, and in other languages ​​it is called with similar words.

Instructions

The mourning butterfly has coffee-colored, almost black wings, soft, velvety, and extremely beautiful. Approaching the abdomen, the wings become overgrown with thin red hairs, similar to moss.

The mourning butterfly belongs to the nymphalid family; all butterflies of this group are characterized by short, clawless forelegs. The mouth opening is transformed into a proboscis, which is rolled up until not in use. As soon as the butterfly is about to suck the nectar, it straightens its proboscis. Mourning birds feed on flower sap, sap from wounded trees; you can simply lure the butterfly to sweet water poured into a small flat bowl.

The mourner's taste organs are located in a rather unusual place: the butterfly feels the taste of a particular product... with its legs. There are taste buds on the middle and hind legs, which is why the mourner, before sitting somewhere, touches a flower or liquid with her paws.

The mourning butterfly is capable of migrating over long distances; as a rule, butterflies migrate in the fall, looking for a place to hibernate. Caterpillars of butterflies of this type feed on the leaves of willow, poplar, and birch. Many people have also seen caterpillars - they are black with red spots, their body is pubescent, with long “needles”.

Lemongrass, or, as it is also called, buckthorn, is a diurnal butterfly from the white butterfly family. It is widespread in the Caucasus, Europe, North Africa, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western and Southern Siberia. This butterfly is distinguished by its unusual longevity and very beautiful, bright color.

Instructions

Lemongrass can be found in parks, gardens, water meadows or open forests. It is easily recognized by the shape of its wings, which is almost unique among European butterflies - each wing has an acute angle, as if cut off by a sharp object. The corners serve as cover for the lemongrass while it is hibernating or resting. By the way, this butterfly spends most of its long life, which lasts about 13 months, in hibernation. The length of the front wing varies from 26 to 33 mm, and the wingspan reaches 60 mm.

Male lemongrass has a brighter color, which is typical for most insects. Their back has a black-gray tint, and their chest and abdomen are covered with a large number of white hairs, which is why they appear fluffy. The wings are distinguished by a beautiful lemon color, which gave the name to this species of butterfly. In the middle of each wing of the lemongrass you can see a reddish-orange spot.

Female lemongrass are less bright and also have a green color. After leaving the cocoon, lemongrass feeds on nectar, and in August they already plunge into a long sleep, which goes through butterflies, which, like warm-blooded animals, live for several years, using various ways shelter from the winter cold.

Wintering forms of butterflies

Many butterflies spend the winter in the egg stage. Very small, it fits in the most secluded places. Some lepidopterans, such as the crimson silkworm, spend the winter as an adult caterpillar, but this is considered an exception to the rule, since most caterpillars overwinter at an early age, fresh from the egg.

The order Lepidoptera is one of the most numerous among insects. To date, more than 158 thousand species have been described.

The most common method is overwintering in the pupal stage. Some of the pupae spend the winter open, unafraid of cold winds, anchored on a tree branch.

That part of the pupae that are disturbed by the effects of winter temperatures, while still caterpillars, choose places inaccessible to rain and winds and there they turn into pupae and overwinter.

Wintering areas of butterflies

Such types of butterflies as urticaria, lemongrass, and burdock hibernate until spring. They cover their body with wings, like a blanket, and hide in bark cracks or hollows.

It often happens that owners of private houses in winter find butterflies huddled in their hearth, which in such cases wake up in the middle of winter. For example, it hid in a crack near the stove, and after kindling, feeling the warmth, the butterfly wakes up in the hope of the coming of spring. Unfortunately, having flown outside, the insect dies after some time from frost.

Migratory butterflies

In nature, there are migratory butterflies, which, like birds, fly to warmer regions with the onset of autumn, covering enormous distances. These flights of winged beauties have interested scientists for a very long time, and for many years they have been studying this phenomenon. Researchers have established the places and routes of migratory butterflies.

On the territory of Russia you can also meet migratory butterflies. Seasonal migrations oleander hawkmoth captured at the end of May Black Sea coast and the North Caucasus.

However, the question remains open: how do insects find their route? There is still debate about how birds, and even more so butterflies, manage to do this. After all, insects have quite primitive nervous system. It is noteworthy that even very young individuals who have never visited wintering sites can find their way.

The most striking example of a migratory butterfly is the monarch. These amazing beauties go on long journeys every year. An interesting fact is that butterflies fly in different directions depending on their main place of residence.

Those monarch butterflies whose habitat is located east of the Rocky Mountains fly to Mexico for the winter, and those who live to the west fly to California.

In winter, heat-loving birds fly south, beetles hide in the bark, and animals that have been actively setting up a wintering place all autumn take refuge in them from snow and cold. Butterflies cannot do any of the above. Are they really dying?

Video on the topic

Butterflies are beautiful creatures. I think everyone knows what a butterfly looks like and have probably met this terrible beast =)

These unique creatures are the second largest pollinators after bees.

The science that studies butterflies is called lepidopterology. An entomologist who studies butterflies is called a lepidopterologist (from Latin name order of butterflies - Lepidoptera, which translates as "lepidoptera"). A lepidopterist is a person who is simply interested in butterflies.

The largest moth in the world is This is the Atlas peacock eye (Attacus Atlas). Its wingspan is more than 30 cm, and it is often mistaken for a bird.

Basically, most butterflies have short life- just a few days. However, there are specimens with a rather long life cycle: The Brixton butterfly is a long-liver, its cycle lasts up to 10 months.

During her short life, a female butterfly can lay more than 1000 eggs

Butterflies literally work wonders. The species Parnassius arcticus lives in Siberia near the Arctic Circle. It reaches places where snow and ice never melt. Its close relative Parnassius bannyngtoni from the Himalayas is the highest mountain butterfly in the world. It can be found rising even 6000 meters above sea level.

The blueberry butterfly (Zizula hylax), which lives in Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Arabia and tropical zone Asia and Australia, the length of the front wing is 6 mm. This is the smallest butterfly in the world.

In addition to the tropical butterflies that are familiar to us, there are also arctic butterflies. They are inconspicuous in appearance, their wings are not bright, but whitish or almost transparent, as if made of glass. Several species of butterflies that live on the Canadian Queen Elizabeth Island, 750 kilometers from the North Pole, can be called real polar bears.

The maximum speed this little creature can reach is 12 mph, but there are species that reach 50 km/h (31 mph). The fastest flight is in butterflies of the hawkmoth family.

The most amazing fact about these creatures is that butterflies need solar heat in order to fly.

The most common butterfly in Russia and Siberia is the Peacock's eye. Thanks to its original pattern, it is difficult to confuse it with any other: the upper part of the wing has a cherry-brown color and an eye-shaped spot characteristic of this species, while the lower part is completely black-brown.

The life cycle of these creatures consists of four phases: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult (butterfly).

The butterfly lays its offspring in one place for many years in a row.

Butterflies never sleep.

The most complex organ of these amazing creatures- eyes. They are made up of 6,000 tiny parts called lenses.

Butterflies are ancient creatures. Their images are present on Egyptian frescoes, which are more than 2.5 thousand years old.

Butterflies are one of the most common collectibles.

There is more than one species of these insects in the world, which can rightfully be considered the rarest. One of them is Queen Alexandra's swallowtail, the largest butterfly on the planet.

It is possible to detect it Only in Papua New Guinea and thanks to collectors, this species is on the verge of complete extinction.

There are several species of these beautiful creatures that do not eat at all during the entire imago cycle (the last stage of life). Such individuals live off the energy accumulated during the period when the butterfly was still a caterpillar.

The smallest butterfly in the world is rightfully considered the “Blue Dwarf”, whose wingspan is only 1.4 cm.

IN tropical forests There is a species of butterfly in the New and Old Worlds, the males of which feed on animal tears.

In the Brazilian butterfly calligo another way of protection. Seeing the bird, it turns over, showing the enemy the underside of its wings.

The enemy has no choice but to hastily retreat.

It's all about the pattern on the wings. This is an image of an owl with a sharp beak and large eyes.

Well, and the owl - worst enemy birds.

Female butterflies typically live longer and longer than male butterflies. It's a bit like people ;-)

Butterflies are excellent stress relievers. Doctors in Stockholm are convinced of this. Clinics in this city have greenhouses with butterflies and flowers, where patients successfully undergo treatment for stress.

Butterflies are nearsighted!

It turns out that the secret of the butterfly is hidden precisely in its scales on its wings. They maintain temperature balance and also increase flightability.

But with blood circulation everything is simple for them. There is no heart, no veins and arteries. All this is replaced by a vessel located in the abdomen, which passes into the head in the form of a tube.

The pattern on a butterfly's wings is unique, just like a person's fingerprints.

Only the Death's Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) has a special “speech” organ located in the pharynx. This butterfly can squeak when alarmed or feeling danger.

Butterflies weigh about the same as two rose petals.

Butterfly migration

Among African butterflies, the species Catopsilia florella makes the longest migrations. Every year, from December to February, its representatives, inhabiting the arid regions of the Sahel, fly south in the tens of millions. The destination is Zaire, several thousand kilometers from the start.

Unlike migratory species of temperate latitudes, migration is caused not by the onset of spring, but by the beginning of the rainy season in the south: at this time many flowers will bloom there, which will provide butterflies with food. They fly in whole clouds up to 20 kilometers long and up to 5 kilometers wide.

If such a flock descends to the ground, it is quite capable of turning off car engines! With the return of the dry season, butterflies head back to the Sahel. Other populations of this species migrate in a similar way, but they fly from southern Africa (Cape Province of South Africa) and head to the northwest.

Migratory behavior is uncommon in butterflies; it is known in only 200 out of 18,000 diurnal species, and only two dozen of them are comparable in length and regularity of their migrations to Catopsilia florella.

P.S. Interesting fact: In winter in Southern California, tourists are shown butterfly trees covered in monarch butterflies resting after a long flight from North America. The branches of these trees bend under the weight of a huge number of butterflies! It is forbidden to disturb monarchs; this will result in a hefty fine.

With the onset of warm weather, garden and garden plots All kinds of pests infect cabbage beds; cabbage butterfly larvae become a real disaster for cabbage beds, since the voracious caterpillars can spoil fresh lettuce leaves in a few minutes and render huge heads of cabbage and leaves of any plants of the cabbage family unusable.

What does a cabbage butterfly look like?

Cabbage, or cabbage whites, is considered one of the most common butterflies in our country. It is a beautiful white individual; females and males differ from each other in the color of their wings. The male half of the butterflies have pronounced spots; the wings can reach a span of 5-6 cm.

Cabbage butterflies reproduce quite actively, since the female is capable of laying up to 200 eggs at a time. Such rapid proliferation of pests leads to damage to large areas of agricultural crops, so fighting cabbage grass is a mandatory activity for all gardeners.

Bright lemon-colored eggs are laid on the inside of young leaves. The development of an egg to the state of a larva occurs on average in a week, and when favorable conditions and before. Only hatched caterpillars feed on the tissues of young leaves, only slightly damaging their integrity, and adult larvae eat the entire leaf, leaving only thick veins. After a month, the caterpillars turn into pupae, and after a couple of weeks they become adult butterflies.

Butterfly larvae and adults can cause considerable damage to a garden plot not only due to mechanical damage to plant leaves: they carry a variety of infectious diseases, which contributes to rapid damage to the crop.

How to deal with cabbage grass?

Successful extermination of cabbage larvae must combine several types of control, starting with preventive spraying and ending with agrotechnical active preparations.

• First of all, with the onset of spring, a thorough cleaning of the area from stale herbs and leaves is required. Regular eradication of weeds in the garden will prevent the occurrence of egg clutches, and therefore the spread of caterpillars in your area.
• Secondly, to eliminate cabbage larvae and eggs, you can attract birds and other insects to the garden by planting several bushes of honey plants or nectar plants around the area.
• Third, spraying chemical compounds shown only in the leaf stage or the head of cabbage development phase, since in a later period all the harmful components will transfer to the cabbage, which is unsafe for the human body.
• Fourthly, inaction on initial stage The development of caterpillars will lead to a rapid increase in the number of insects, making them much more difficult to eliminate.

When choosing modern chemistry as a method of combating cabbage caterpillars, you should give preference to drugs such as Actellik, Karate, Lepidocide, etc. It is imperative to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and dilute the product in accordance with the area of ​​the treated area, since exceeding the permissible indicators of chemical insecticides disrupts the composition of the grown product and reduces the fertile properties of the soil.

Scientists call lemongrass a genus of butterflies that is part of the white butterfly family. The closest relatives of these lepidopterans are considered to be cabbage and reptiles. In total, researchers were able to discover 16 species of lemongrass in the world.

What does a lemongrass butterfly look like?

The most common species of the lemongrass genus is the common lemongrass, also known as buckthorn (Gonepteryx rhamni). All representatives of the genus are distinguished by a characteristic color: a rich yellow tint of the wings. However, only male butterflies can boast of such beauty; sometimes their wings reach a bright orange tone. As for female lemongrass, their color is light green, and sometimes even white.

Another difference between lemongrass is the small inclusions that can be seen in the center of each butterfly wing. When an insect spreads its wings, their span ranges from 3 to 6 centimeters.

Where does lemongrass live?

The habitat of these representatives of the order Lepidoptera covers Asia Minor and Central Asia, the Caucasus region, southern Siberia, the entire territory of Europe, as well as areas of the Mediterranean and North Africa. In some countries they live rare species lemongrass, for example: mahaguru schisandra lives in Korea and Japan, and on the island of Madeira (located near the northwestern coast of Africa) you can find an endemic species - Madeira schisandra.

The lifestyle of the lemongrass butterfly: what is its peculiarity?

The largest concentrations of lemongrass can be seen in the meadow, as well as near thickets of bushes and tree plantations. However, too dense forests they avoid, trying to stay more in open space. If lemongrass settles in mountainous areas, then the altitude of their habitat does not exceed 2000 meters.

According to their lifestyle, lemongrass is a diurnal butterfly. In addition, they are one of the earliest representatives of Lepidoptera. In autumn, their flights can be observed until October, and with the onset of spring (in March), lemongrass is right there again.

Nutrition of the lemongrass butterfly

As for the nutrition of lemongrass, it is worth especially noting that at the caterpillar stage they are especially picky and eat only the leafy part of the plant called buckthorn (for which the butterfly received its middle name). The diet of adult lemongrass is more varied: they collect nectar from many plants.

Reproduction of buckthorns

During the mating season, these butterflies exhibit intricate dances that the males perform to attract a partner.

Lemongrass eggs are laid one at a time: they are glued by a butterfly to the leaves, as well as to the stems of buckthorn. The lemongrass egg has a yellow or white tint. With the onset of May, and sometimes June, lemongrass caterpillars are born. The body of the caterpillars has a smooth structure and no hairs. The caterpillar lives in its stage for about one month. Pupation occurs in July. Lemongrass survives wintering as an adult.

Can lemongrass harm a person or his household?

For humans, lemongrass is absolutely harmless, but the opposite cannot be said: rare species of these butterflies, for example, the Madeira butterfly, due to constant displacement (by humans) from their usual habitats, may soon completely disappear from the face of the Earth.

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Most people associate butterflies with summer and flowers. There is no person in the world who has never seen this miracle of nature. And many are interested in the question: “What types of butterflies are there and how many families do these beautiful creatures consist of?”

This article will answer all questions.

All about butterflies

Butterfly- This is an insect of the arthropod type, the order Lepidoptera.

The ancient Slavs believed that butterflies were inhabited by the souls of the dead, so they treated these insects with respect. special respect.

Appearance and structure

The butterfly consists of two sections:

• Body covered with a chitinous layer.
• Two pairs of wings, which are covered with scales and penetrated with veins in the transverse and longitudinal direction. The pattern on the wings depends on the species. The wingspan, depending on the species, can be from 3 mm to 310 mm.

Body structure:

The appearance of a butterfly can serve to protection insects from enemies. Indeed, thanks to their coloring, some butterflies blend in with environment and become invisible.

Types of butterflies with brief characteristics

Butterflies number more than 200 families, only a small part of the most popular ones are listed below:

Belyanki:

Cocoonworm family

Butterflies belonging to this family are large or medium in size. The body is powerful, covered with villi. This family is more reminiscent of moths than butterflies. The front fenders are different large size compared to the rear ones. The antennae look like brushes. They live in groups on woody plants. Some species are very harmful to forestry.

Blueberry family

Has more than 5 thousand species, some of which are listed in Red Book. All species of this family are small in size and brightly colored. Males are brighter in color than females. The color depends on the species and can be bright blue or brown. For example, the Blueberry Icarus has a bright blue color.

A distinctive feature of all bluebirds are the spots located on the lower wings. Blueberries do not harm, and sometimes even bring benefits by scaring away pests.

Parsley family

This family contains more than 1200 species. Most species can be found in tropical countries, but a small part also lives in Russia. Pieds have interesting coloring. On a shiny black or dark blue background there are spots of bright red or bright yellow color. But there are also species with a monochromatic color.

The appearance of an insect warns that it poisonous and when threatened, releases a toxic liquid with a pungent odor. In its size, the butterfly can reach up to 50 mm in length. Mainly diurnal, but occasionally found at night. It feeds on legume leaves.

Volnyanka

These butterflies greatly harm forestry. There are more than 2700 species. The butterfly is of medium size. One of the most famous species is gypsy moth. This insect received this name due to the significant differences in the sizes of the male and female.

For example, males have a wingspan of 45 mm, while females have a wingspan of 7.5 cm. Males are also much darker than females. In male representatives, the wings are dark brown with black transverse waves. Female grey- white with the presence of dark waves.

Butterflies have a velvety texture and black color with a spread of 50–60 mm. There are white spots at the corners of the front wings, which are separated by a red stripe. The same stripe is located on the edge of the lower wings.

A beautiful European insect that leads a diurnal lifestyle. The wingspan is 150 mm. The entire color is red-brown with a bizarre pattern similar to a peacock's eye. There is one spot in the corners of the upper wings.

And on each lower wing there is one black spot, in the middle of which there is another blue spot. These spots that resemble eyes scare away enemies butterflies.

Marigold

The color of this day butterfly quite modest. It has a brown or red color with a pattern of white and black rings. It feeds on grasses from wild plants and loves shade.

Swallowtail belongs to the family sailboats and is listed in the Red Book. Coloring happens different colors, but the most beautiful is the swallowtail, whose color is yellow. A wide band is visible on the wings black line with moon-shaped spots along the edges. The hind wings have an elongated tail of blue color with yellow-blue spots. There is a red spot in the corner of the lower ones.

There are many more species that one could talk about endlessly and write several volumes of books. This article shows only a small part of them.

The butterfly belongs to the class insects, phylum arthropods, order Lepidoptera (lat. Lepidoptera).

The Russian name “butterfly” comes from the Old Slavonic word “babъka”, which denoted the concept of “old woman” or “grandmother”. In the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, it was believed that these were the souls of the dead, so people treated them with respect.

Butterfly: description and photo. The structure and appearance of butterflies

The structure of the butterfly has two main sections: the body, protected by a hard chitinous shell, and the wings.

A butterfly is an insect whose body consists of:

• Head, inactively connected to the chest. The butterfly's head has a round shape with a slightly flattened occipital part. The round or oval convex eyes of the butterfly in the form of hemispheres, occupying most of the lateral surface of the head, have a complex facet structure. Butterflies have color vision and perceive moving objects better than stationary ones. In many species, additional simple parietal eyes are located behind the antennae. The structure of the oral apparatus depends on the species and can be of the sucking or gnawing type.

• Breasts with a three-segment structure. The front part is significantly smaller than the middle and back part, where three pairs of legs are located, which have a structure characteristic of insects. On the shins of the butterfly's front legs there are spurs designed to maintain the hygiene of the antennae.
• The abdomen has the shape of an elongated cylinder, consisting of ten ring-shaped segments with spiracles located on them.

Butterfly structure

The antennae of the butterfly are located on the border of the parietal and frontal parts of the head. They help butterflies navigate their surroundings by sensing air vibrations and various odors.

The length and structure of the antennae depend on the species.

Two pairs of butterfly wings, covered with flat scales of different shapes, have a membranous structure and are penetrated by transverse and longitudinal veins. The size of the hind wings can be the same as the front wings or significantly smaller than them. The pattern of butterfly wings varies from species to species and captivates with its beauty.

In macro photography, the scales on the wings of butterflies are very clearly visible - they can have completely different shapes and color.

Butterfly wings – macro photography

The appearance and coloring of a butterfly’s wings serve not only for intraspecific sexual recognition, but also act as a protective camouflage that allows one to merge with environment. Therefore, colors can be either monochrome or variegated with a complex pattern.

The size of a butterfly, or better said, the wingspan of a butterfly, can range from 2 mm to 31 cm.

Classification and types of butterflies

The large order of Lepidoptera includes more than 158 thousand representatives. There are several classification systems for butterflies, quite complex and confusing, with constant changes occurring in them. The most successful scheme is considered to be one that divides this detachment into four suborders:

1) Primary toothed moths. These are small butterflies, the wingspan of which ranges from 4 to 15 mm, with a gnawing type mouthparts and antennae that reach a length of up to 75% of the size of the front wings. The family consists of 160 species of butterflies.

Typical representatives are:

• golden smallwing (lat. Micropteryx calthella);
• marigold smallwing (lat. Micropteryx calthella).

2) Proboscis butterflies. The wingspan of these insects, covered with dark small scales with cream or black spots, does not exceed 25 mm. Until 1967, they were classified as primary toothed moths, with which this family has much in common.

The most famous butterflies from this suborder:

• flour fire (lat. Asopia farinalis L.),
• moth fir cones(lat. Dioryctrica abieteila).

3) Heterobathmyas, represented by one family Heterobathmiidae.

4) Proboscis butterflies, which make up the largest suborder, consisting of several dozen families, which include more than 150 thousand species of butterflies. The appearance and size of representatives of this suborder are very diverse. Below are several families demonstrating the diversity of proboscis butterflies.

• Family Sailboats, represented by medium and large butterflies with a wingspan from 50 to 280 mm. The pattern on the wings of butterflies consists of black, red or blue spots of various shapes, clearly visible on a white or yellow background. The most famous of them are:
  1. Swallowtail butterfly;
  2. Sailboat "Glory of Bhutan";
  3. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing and others.

Swallowtail butterfly

• Family Nymphalidae, characteristic feature which is the absence of thickened veins on wide angular wings with variegated colors and various patterns. The wingspan of butterflies varies from 50 to 130 mm. Representatives of this family are:
  1. Butterfly Admiral;
  2. Day peacock butterfly;
  3. Butterfly hives;
  4. Mourning butterfly, etc.

Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)

Day peacock butterfly

Urticaria butterfly (Aglais urticae)

Mourning butterfly

• , represented by moths with narrow wings, the span of which does not exceed 13 cm and has a characteristic pattern. The abdomen of these insects is thickened and fusiform. The most famous butterflies of this family:
  1. Hawkmoth "death's head";
  2. Hawkmoth oleander;
  3. Poplar hawk moth.

• Scoop Family, which includes more than 35,000 species of moths. The span of the furry wings, gray with a metallic tint, averages 35 mm. However, in South America there is a species of butterfly called tisania agrippina with a wingspan of 31 cm or the atlas peacock eye, the size of which resembles a medium-sized bird.

Where do butterflies live in nature?

The distribution area of ​​butterflies around the planet is very wide. It does not include only the icy expanses of Antarctica. Butterflies live everywhere from North America and Greenland to the coast of Australia and the island of Tasmania. The largest number of species were found in Peru and India. These fluttering insects make their flights not only in flowering valleys, but also high in the mountains.

What do butterflies eat?

The diet of many butterflies consists of pollen and nectar from flowering plants. Many species of butterflies feed on tree sap, overripe and rotting fruit. And the death's head hawk moth is a real gourmet, because it often flies into hives and feasts on the honey they collect.

Some nymphalid butterflies need various microelements and additional moisture. Their sources are excrement, urine and sweat of large animals, wet clay, and human sweat.

Such butterflies include the Madagascar comet, whose wingspan is 14-16 cm. The lifespan of this butterfly is 2-3 days.

There are also “vampires” among butterflies. For example, males of some cutworm species maintain their strength thanks to the blood and tear fluid of animals. This is the vampire butterfly (lat. Calyptra).

Cutworms are unusual moths. How many varieties of cutworms exist in nature and what do they look like? Our photos and descriptions of the insect will tell you about this.

Scoops or night bats - big family lepidopteran insects. There are more than 35 thousand species of cutworms. There are about 1,800 species in Europe, and more than 1,500 species in Russia. Cutworms are found in various parts of the world. Any climate is suitable for their life. Cutworms thrive in deserts, mountains and tundra conditions.

Description of scoop

There are large types of cutworms and very small ones. U large species The wingspan can reach 130 millimeters, but there are also small species that have a wingspan of no more than 10 millimeters.

Morphological characteristics of cutworm

The head of the moth is round, the forehead is characteristically convex; some individuals, on the contrary, have depressions on the forehead.

In females, the antennae have a simple structure, they are thread-like or comb-like, sometimes they can be framed by fluffy cilia. The structure of the antennae of males is more complex.

Noctuids living in the mountains have elliptical or kidney-shaped eyes. Some species have simple eyes. The proboscis is well developed; in a calm state it is curled. In some species the proboscis is reduced. The surface of the proboscis is covered with “taste cones”.

There are “bloodthirsty” exceptions among cutworms - individuals live in the tropics that feed on the lacrimal glands of mammals and their blood. Only males are bloodthirsty; they have a reinforced proboscis. Females have an undeveloped proboscis, so their diet is more “dietary”; they extract juice from fruits and plants.

The palps of cutworms can be short or elongated. The head, chest and abdomen are often covered with scales and hairs. In addition, cutworms may have tufts of hairs.

Spurs are often located on the lower legs; other species have claws and spines. The shape of the wings is almost triangular, sometimes it can be elongated, and rarely rounded. Some species of moths have long and narrow wings; such wings allow butterflies to fly long distances. U mountain species the wings are short, and sometimes they can be completely reduced.

The noctuid's body is full and covered with thick hairs. The wings have a pattern of spots; the spots are round, wedge-shaped and kidney-shaped. Some species have silvery and golden spots on their wings. The hind wings can be yellowish, blue, red and white. Noctuid moths, which live in climates with colorful nature, often have distinctive patterns on their wings and bodies.

Development of the scoop

There is a wide variety of cutworms, so life cycle different types varies greatly.

Caterpillars have up to 6 instars, during which up to 5 molts occur. Northern and mountain varieties generally have a two-year life cycle. Pupation of caterpillars occurs in earthen litter, soil or plant tissue. Mostly pupae overwinter, but middle-aged or older caterpillars can also overwinter. In warm areas, cutworms develop continuously, with several generations being formed per year. In winter, they go into a “cold stupor.”

The eggs are hemispherical in shape. The surface of the eggs is cellular or ribbed. Female cutworms lay eggs on the ground. The fertility of females can reach about 2 thousand eggs.

The caterpillar has a naked body, but it may have primary setae and, in some cases, secondary setae. The body color of the caterpillars is green, yellow or brown. There are longitudinal stripes on the body. Sometimes on the abdominal segment there may be false legs. Noctuid caterpillars are active at night, and during the day they lead a hidden lifestyle. In some species, caterpillars are predators; they additionally feed on scale insects and scale insects.

Harm from scoop

Cutworm caterpillars are divided into intrastem, gnawing and leaf-gnawing. Caterpillars mainly feed on plant sap; some species eat plant litter, mosses and lichens. In addition, caterpillars damage fruits, flowers, and sometimes eat grains in storage. Cutworms are agricultural pests.

exclamation scoop

These pests spoil potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, corn, beets, lettuce, turnips, sunflowers and strawberries. They destroy tubers and roots, after which the plants die.

Cutworm larvae spend most of their time in the ground, but may feed on leaves above. The wing span of an adult moth is 30-40 millimeters. Color varies from dark brown to light gray.

Alfalfa cutworm

These cutworms are pests of agricultural crops. Alfalfa cutworms live throughout the Russian Federation. They damage soybean, flax, corn and alfalfa plantings.

The wingspan of these butterflies reaches 38 millimeters. The wings are gray-green in color.

Alfalfa cutworm pupae spend the winter in the soil. The flight of adult butterflies takes place in May-June. In cutworms living in forest-steppe zones, develops 2 generations.

Stem armyworm

These cutworms damage cereal crops. Stem cutworms live in steppe zone Siberia. These pests cause damage to rye, wheat, corn and oats.

Noctuid moths of this species reach a length of 38 millimeters. The wings are yellowish-white, with a light stripe running down the center. The pupae are black and brown in color and are 15 millimeters long.

Cutworm caterpillars gnaw at the base of stems, settle inside the stem and suck out plant juices. Because of such pestilence, the plants dry out and the ears do not ripen.

The flight of stem cutworms takes place in June-July. Females lay medium-sized eggs, in an oviposition their number reaches 130 pieces. One generation of stem cutworm develops in one season.

Spring armyworm

This type of cutworm damages cereal crops. Spring cutworms live in the steppes and forests of Russia. Pests destroy plantings of barley, oats, wheat and corn. These butterflies reach 34 millimeters in length.

The wings are rusty brown and may have an orange or white patch. Females lay about 500 eggs. The spring armyworm has one generation per year.

Pea cutworm

The butterfly measures no more than 42 millimeters. The front wings are black-brown in color. There are transverse lines on the wings. The caterpillars are yellow in color, the body size of the caterpillars reaches 4 millimeters.

Flight of pea cutworms takes place in June-September. These butterflies feed on succulent plants. One female lays up to 400 eggs. Caterpillars eat leaves. 2 generations develop per year.

Sage cutworm

These butterflies are pests of essential oil crops. Sage cutworms are found wherever there is sage, lavender, mint, and other similar crops.

The wingspan of the butterfly reaches 40 millimeters. The front wings are yellow-gray, the hind wings are lighter.

The flight of these butterflies takes place in April-July. The fertility of females is up to 600 eggs. Caterpillars damage leaves, ovaries, buds and pedicels. They begin to damage plants from top to bottom. 3 generations develop in a year.

Blue armyworm

Blueheads cause damage to fruit crops. They live throughout Russia. Damage is caused to pears, apple trees, cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, rowan, poplar, almond, oak, thorn, hawthorn and hazel.

The size of the butterfly reaches 50 millimeters. The wings of these cutworms have a purple tint and are dotted with spots and lines. Brown. The caterpillar dimensions reach 34 millimeters. The pupa reaches 17 millimeters in length. This cutworm species has one generation per year.

Yellow-brown early armyworm

This type of cutworm is especially harmful to fruit crops. Early cutworms live almost throughout the entire territory of Russia. Pests damage raspberries, apple trees, cherries, pears, plums, peach and various forest species.

Butterflies reach 35 millimeters in length. The color of the front wings is yellowish with a white stripe, the hind wings have a fringe. The body length of the caterpillars reaches 40 millimeters, and the pupa – 15 millimeters.

Females of early cutworms lay up to 900 eggs. The caterpillars of these cutworms destroy ovaries and leaves.

Scoop gamma

These pests are polyphagous. They are widespread in Russia everywhere. Gamma armyworms damage field crops such as beets, potatoes, flax, hemp, legumes and the like.

Butterflies measure up to 48 millimeters. The forewings can be purple to gray shade, they have a “gamma”-shaped spot on them, hence the name. These cutworms fly during the day and feed on flower nectar. One female brings 500-1500 eggs. Over the course of a year, 2 generations of gamma scoops can develop.

Butterflies are some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. In their splendor they can only compete with flowers. They were always surrounded by an aura of some mystery. This still seems amazing - how an unpleasant-looking caterpillar turns into a beautiful and graceful creature. There are many legends and traditions associated with butterflies. For example, the beautiful custom of giving your chosen one a butterfly before the wedding is still used in China today. In Japan, they were released during the wedding celebration.

There is an amazing variety of butterflies in the world: small, huge, inconspicuous or eye-catching with their bright colors. The most beautiful butterflies in the world, with names and images, will be presented to your attention in our review. We will try to rank the best representatives of the order Lepidoptera.

Selection criteria

It is almost impossible to determine the name of the most beautiful butterfly on the planet - it will definitely have a dozen worthy rivals. What parameters should be used to select the most attractive and effective of them? First of all, in appearance. The most beautiful butterfly in the world cannot be inconspicuous. Just looking at her should take your breath away. Size matters too. The brightest butterfly, if it is very tiny, is difficult to notice and appreciate all its beauty.

Urania madagascarica

The most beautiful butterfly, which ranks first in the ranking, comes from Madagascar, which is reflected in its name. She lives only there and is not found in other places. The wingspan is 7-11 centimeters. They are covered with a rainbow pattern of yellow, green, red and blue tones. The background of the wings is black, and the colors look especially great on it. The hind wings have outgrowths called “tails”. The body of the butterfly is covered with long hairs orange color. An interesting feature is that it prefers to feed on white or yellowish-white flowers.

Saturnia madagascarensis

Another representative of Madagascar. The most beautiful butterfly leads night look life and has an unusual color - from lemon to orange. The wings are decorated with large “eyes”. They have something like a pupil and from a distance very closely resemble real eyes. The peculiarity of this butterfly is the presence of outgrowths-tails on the lower wings, reaching 14 centimeters in males. Therefore, its other name is the comet butterfly.

Glory to Bhutan

This most beautiful butterfly belongs to the swallowtail family, almost all species of which are particularly attractive. Swallowtail Maaka, swallowtail, birdwing and many others have long been recognized as one of the most beautiful butterflies.

The interesting thing about Bhutan is that it lives high in the mountains. Against the dark background of the wings, a bright spot located below immediately catches the eye. The butterfly has several “tails” on the bottom of its wings. It lives in the treetops and reluctantly descends to the ground. It has interesting feature, which is not typical for other butterflies - it is more active in rainy weather.

Peacock eye atlas

This most beautiful butterfly is at the same time one of the largest representatives of lepidoptera in the world. Its wingspan can reach 24 centimeters.

Despite its dull color, the Atlas Peacock Eye attracts attention with the unusual color pattern of its wings and their shape. They resemble curved snake heads.

The butterfly is also unusual in that it does not feed in its adult stage. She has enough of those nutrients, which were accumulated by the caterpillar. Therefore, the life of these creatures is short-lived - after about 10 days they die, giving birth to new offspring.

The atlas peacock eye is not only one of the most beautiful, but also useful insects. In India, butterfly caterpillars are used to produce especially durable silk. In some tropical countries, huge cocoons are used as wallets.

The caterpillars of this giant butterfly also look unusual. They reach a length of 10 centimeters, are painted in light green tones and are equipped with light processes.

What is the most beautiful butterfly in the world? Determining who is worthy of this flattering title is quite difficult. What seems beautiful to one may not cause any delight to another butterfly connoisseur. You can only make a list of the most interesting representatives of the order Lepidoptera, and everyone will choose the most beautiful of them himself.