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Types of butterflies in Russia. Butterflies: description and types of the most beautiful Morpho Peleida - Legendary beauty

Here I will show three photos - caterpillar and swallowtail butterfly (Latin name Papilio machaon). This large butterfly belongs to the Sailboat family ( Papilionidae) and is considered one of the most beautiful in our mid-latitudes.

Large (with a wingspan of up to 9 centimeters), bright yellow with black stripes and spots, with a red spot, a blue band and elongated tails on the hind wings, the butterfly flies so gracefully, swiftly and easily, like a bird, that you can just admire. The difference between its flight and other butterflies is exactly the same as the difference between the flight of, for example, an eagle and a sparrow. The first soars high in the sky, and the second "flickers" in the bushes. This butterfly stands out in beauty from the rest, for the most part small and grayish world of moths. And it is also rare and listed in the Red Book.

These photos, but large (as for photo wallpapers), can be viewed here:

  • http://bp21.org.by/p/wall1/lepid_pap1.jpg (204 Kb)
  • http://bp21.org.by/p/wall1/lepid_pap2.jpg (237 Kb)
  • http://bp21.org.by/p/book/bpwh59.jpg.jpg (169 Kb)

In early September, the wife weeded carrots in the garden, came and said that she had found on a piece of paper large, green and VERY BEAUTIFUL swallowtail caterpillar. She is in the first picture (photo 1). Swallowtail caterpillars feed on various wild plants of the umbrella family, but are often found on carrots and dill grown by humans. A week ago, just before the cold weather, I see that the caterpillar is no longer there - it crawled away somewhere to pupate. It’s a pity I didn’t see it, it might die when we dig up the garden in the spring. Swallowtail pupae, attached to the stalk of a herbaceous plant or shrub, winter near the ground and only in May butterflies emerge from them. They lay their eggs, the caterpillars feed, and in early August the second generation of butterflies comes out. They lay their eggs, the caterpillars pupate in September, the pupae hibernate and ... further in a circle.

Butterfly photography(photos 2 and 3)… I took these photos differently than usual, which I will show later. I'll reveal a secret. This butterfly hatched at home from a found and fed caterpillar, which I kept in a glass jar. Before releasing the butterfly into the wild, I put the jar in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, so to speak, "froze" the butterfly. And when she, numb from the cold, was taken out into the bright sun and planted on a flower, she spread her wings wide with all her strength in order to quickly warm herself in the warm sun (photo 2). Therefore, it seems that it is as if from a collection. But no, she's alive. Having warmed up, the butterfly lowered its wings, after a couple of seconds it fluttered and ... flew away to become one with Nature. It was at this moment, before the flight, that I photographed her, so beautiful, (photo 3).

In total, there are about 550 species of this wonderful family in the world fauna, and almost all of them live in warm regions of the globe. In Belarus there is only one species, the common swallowtail. In the south of India, on the islands of the Indian Ocean and in Africa, there is a real kingdom of sailboats. Only there, under the rays of the hot tropical sun, do they reach their full beauty and grandeur. For example, in the wild forests of tropical Africa, the Antimachus sailboat reaches a wing size of 23 cm.

How to save this beautiful butterfly? . Do not underestimate or mitigate damage from what is stated in the paragraph above. But the most important thing is to love them as a small piece, part of a beautiful and divine nature. And then a person will begin to realize that not only he wants to live on Earth, but also all the rest of life.

Georgy Kazulko
Bialowieza Forest

(Please write your feedback, thoughts, ideas, questions, comments or disagreements in the comments below or send to my email address:

Fluttering flowers - this is the poetic name of the butterfly rightfully deserved. Intricate patterns on the thinnest wings, eye-pleasing combinations of bright colors - nature once again showed outstanding design skills, creating such marvelous creatures.

Butterfly is one of the most mysterious creatures of nature. Such a wonderful transformation is not deliberately invented. A real beauty with painted wings emerges from an unsightly larva.

Today, there are about 165,000 species of butterflies on the globe.

The curious world has prepared for you material about giant butterflies, the size of which is amazing.

1. Tizania Agrippina

Moth. The largest butterfly in the world lives in Brazil and Peru. It belongs to the endangered insects. Its wingspan is 30.8 centimeters. It is also called the scoop agrippina.

2. Queen Alexandra Ornithopter or Queen Alexandra Birdwing

Day butterfly. She received her name in honor of the wife of the British King Edward VII. The wingspan is up to 31 cm with a body length of about 8 cm. Such a creature can weigh up to 12 grams. The giant butterfly is found exclusively in the forests of the Oro province of the state of Papua New Guinea. Unfortunately, the species is on the verge of extinction.

3. Peacock-eye "Hercules"

Night moth from a monotypic genus ( coscinocera) in the peacock-eye family. One of the largest butterflies in the world, and the largest in Australia; The wingspan of females can reach 27 cm.

4. Peacock-eye "Atlas"

The butterfly got its name "atlas" from the ancient Greek mythical hero Atlanta, or Atlas. He held the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Only a very large butterfly could get this name in its name. The wingspan of the Atlas is up to 26 centimeters. Cultivated in India. Its caterpillars produce excellent silk.

5. Sailboat "Antimach"

It is the largest diurnal butterfly in Africa. Wingspan up to 24 cm. This butterfly lives in tropical rainforests from the western coast of Sierra Leone to Uganda. Despite the extensive habitat, this species is not numerous. The butterfly is considered rare because it flies exclusively in virgin rainforests, which are endangered due to massive logging. Unfortunately, it is very poisonous. Only three countries: Ghana, Ivory Coast and Zaire have taken measures to protect the antimach.

6. Birdwing "Goliath"

Large diurnal butterfly of the Sailfish family. The wingspan of males is up to 20 cm, females up to 22 cm. The color of males consists of 3 primary colors - green, yellow, black. The color of females is brown-brown, with light spots, the lower wings with a gray-yellow wide border.

It lives in the mountainous tropical forests of the Moluccas archipelago, from Ssoram Island to Gudenow Island off the southeast coast of New Guinea, at an altitude of up to 2300 m above sea level. Currently, 7 subspecies of goliath are known.

7. Trogonoptera Trojan

A large diurnal butterfly from the Sailfish family. The specific name means "Trojan", "originally from Troy".

Wingspan up to 19 cm. The female is slightly larger or the same size as the male. Lives only on the island of Palawan.

8. Ornithoptera Croesus

Large diurnal butterfly of the Sailfish family. The specific binomial name is given in honor of Croesus, the last king of Lydia in 560-546 BC. e. from the genus Mermnad.

Wingspan up to 19 cm. Males are characterized by an orange-yellow wing color, combined with black "inserts". When illuminated from the side, the wings flare with a greenish-yellow glow.

Butterfly discoverer naturalist Alfred Wallace recalled his first find of a male croesus on the island of Bachai: “The beauty of this butterfly cannot be expressed in words, and no one but a naturalist will understand the deep excitement that I experienced when I finally caught it. When I took her out of the net and spread her majestic wings, my heart began to beat, blood rushed to my head, I was then closer to fainting than in those moments when I was threatened with death. All that day I had a headache: so great was the excitement ... "

9. Saturnia Madagascar or Madagascar Comet

This butterfly is also called Lunar moth - a luxurious night butterfly of the family peacock-eye. It is one of the world record holders for the size of the wings.

This night beauty can only be seen in Madagascar. This species is endangered, therefore, in Madagascar, these magnificent butterflies are successfully bred on special farms.

Having given the butterfly such a bright appearance, mother nature saved on life support systems: peacock-eye butterflies do not have a mouth apparatus and a digestive tract, so the Madagascar comet lives only 2-3 days due to the nutrient reserves accumulated by the caterpillar.

The wingspan is up to 18 cm. The wings are decorated with unusually long tails, sometimes reaching 20 cm. The tails often fall off after several flights.

The color of the wings is bright yellow. Each wing has one large brown eye with a black dot in the center. Wing apices with brown-black spot.

10. Golden Birdwing or Troides

One of the largest diurnal butterflies in South Asia. Its wingspan is about 16 cm. Due to its size and manner of flight, it got its name - Birdwing. Indeed, the flight of Troydes is more like the flight of a bird than the fluttering of a butterfly. Its golden yellow, translucent and mother-of-pearl hind wings shine like the sun and fill the atmosphere with the energy of light and joy. And this energy is really palpable when you hold this beautiful butterfly on your hand, because it is not for nothing that the Asian peoples consider the Golden Birdwing to be a symbol of financial well-being!

Butterfly Troides is a rather rare species and has long been listed in the Red Book. In the wild, in the homeland of the Troides butterfly (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia), this golden-winged flyer is very difficult to see, because. Troides mainly live in the depths of tropical forests.

11. Peacock-eye Pear

This butterfly is also called the large nocturnal peacock eye, or pear saturnia - a butterfly from the Peacock-eye family. The largest night butterfly in Europe and Russia in terms of wingspan.

Wingspan up to 15 cm. Females are larger than males. On the upper side of both pairs of wings, there is one large eye with a black middle and a brown rim around. Around the eye there is also a white border and a reddish ring. Along the edge of the wings there is a light stripe, behind it, closer to the base of the wing - a black one, interrupted only at the top of the forewings.

It is found in southern and central Europe, to the southwestern part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Asia Minor and in Iran, Crimea.

Landscapes with a large number of shrubs and trees, forest edges, parks, gardens, orchards.

12. Ornithopter Chimera

Wingspan up to 15 cm. This butterfly flies very well, making extraordinary turns in the air, gliding and diving in search of nectar. Pollinates hibiscus.

The ornithopter chimera is widespread on the islands of New Guinea and Java in tropical rainforests at an altitude of 1200-1800 m above sea level.

13. Maak's Sailboat or Mac's Tail Bearer

A significant part of the black front wing of the male shimmers with a green dotted coating, which thickens closer to the edge into a rarefied emerald-blue border. The area free from green sputtering shines with magical black silk: it is covered with the finest and most delicate fragrant black hairs - androconia. Hindwings with a wavy edge and long tails shine, iridescent, with a blue-green ornament.

The wingspan of the female reaches 13.5 cm.

A green dotted coating evenly covers the entire dark brown front wing of the female. The nature of the pattern of its hind wings is the same as that of the male, but its luster is muted, and red-violet hues appear in the marginal wavy border along with green-blue. Females are much more variable than males. It is difficult to find two identical butterflies among them.

This largest diurnal butterfly in Russia surpasses many tropical relatives in its beauty. It is hard to believe that the distribution area of ​​this wonderful sailboat extends to 54 ° north latitude, where Tynda and the north of Sakhalin are located. Tail-bearer Maaka lives in the Middle Amur Region, Primorye, North Korea, Manchuria, and the Kuril Islands. In these places, butterflies are often found in broad-leaved and mixed forests, less often in spruce-fir. They also fly into taiga settlements. During the period when subalpine plants bloom, butterflies rise to mountains up to 2000 m above sea level: looking for food, they fly around treeless peaks in a circle.

14. Urania Madagascar

Wingspan 10.5 cm. This type of butterfly is typical only for Madagascar. Flies during the day, feeds on flower nectar. Butterflies can be seen all year round, especially their numbers increase from May to July. Her wings, despite the apparent lack of color at the ends, play with different colors of the rainbow.


Description of the swallowtail

Papilio machaon represents the family of sailboats (cavaliers), which is part of the order Lepidoptera (lepidoptera). The first description of the butterfly, as well as its Latin name, belongs to Carl Linnaeus.

Appearance

The wings of the swallowtail are not necessarily yellow: sometimes they are painted white, traced with characteristic black veins, and framed by a black border with light semicircles. This pattern is observed on the front fenders, the rear ones always look brighter and more intricate.

A wide blue (pale blue) wave goes along the hind wings of the swallowtail, limited by black "borders" above and below. The part of the wing adjacent to the butterfly's body has a recognizable red/orange "eye" with a black outline. In addition, the hind wings are equipped with coquettish (up to 1 cm long) tails.

The body of the swallowtail, overgrown with light hairs, on the abdomen and chest, several indistinct black lines are cut, while the back seems very dark due to a bold black stripe running from the head to the very bottom. The oral apparatus looks like a black proboscis, coiled into a spiral as unnecessary and straightened to suck out flower nectar. On the forehead there are long jointed antennae with noticeable knobs at the tips.

Important. The rounded and inactive head is equipped with complex compound eyes sitting on the sides. The eyes help the swallowtail to distinguish between individual colors and objects, and thereby navigate the terrain.

The variability of the pattern/coloration depends both on the period of appearance of butterflies and on the region of their habitat. The further north it is, the paler the swallowtail. Less bright specimens are also observed among butterflies of the first generation, while the second generation is not only brighter, but also larger. True, in the first generation, the black patterns on the wings are clearer. If the summer is very hot, smaller swallowtails with a sophisticated black ornament usually come out of the pupae.

Papilio machaon is very similar to Papilio hospiton (Corsican sailfish), but differs from it in larger red/blue spots, less overall darkening of the wings and longer tails.

Swallowtail sizes

It is a large diurnal butterfly with a wingspan of 64 to 95 mm. The size of the swallowtail is determined by its gender, generation (1,2 or 3), as well as the habitat.

Lifestyle

Swallowtail, like other sailboats, is active on warm sunny days. In such weather, his favorite flowers and inflorescences are available to him, which feed him with nectar filled with valuable trace elements. Swallowtails need a lot of nectar, so they are often found in parks, meadows and gardens.

Males are territorial, with the center of the chosen territory being at the dominant height. Swallowtail males often gather in groups (10–15 individuals), sitting on manure or on the banks of nearby water bodies. Males and females also sit on hills, tall trees or flutter in the air, demonstrating a typical up and down dance.

Interesting. In nature, it is extremely difficult to capture a sitting butterfly with fully spread wings in the frame, since the rear ones are usually half hidden under the front ones.

This happens when the sun's rays fall on the chilled swallowtail (at sunrise or after rain), and it spreads its wings as much as possible in order to warm up faster and fly away. The swallowtail spreads its wonderful wings for a few minutes, and taking a picture at this moment is considered a great luck for the photographer.

Lifespan

The flight of swallowtails (taking into account climatic conditions) falls on spring-autumn, when one, two and even three generations of butterflies are born. Most swallowtails on the globe give 2 generations, in the north of the range - one and only, but in North Africa - as many as three. The flight of butterflies in a temperate climate lasts from May to August, on the African continent - from March to November. The life span of the swallowtail (regardless of range) is about 3 weeks.

sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism in swallowtails is weakly expressed and manifests itself mainly in the size of butterflies. Males are somewhat smaller than females, which can be seen, in particular, from the wingspan: for the former, this figure is 64–81 mm, for the latter it ranges from 74 to 95 mm.

Butterfly subspecies swallowtail

Lepidopterologists (butterfly entomologists) talk about the many subspecies of Papilio machaon, arguing over the final number. Some have at least 37 subspecies, others - half as many.

The nominative subspecies of the swallowtail is found in Eastern Europe, the subspecies britannicus Seitz is found in Great Britain, and the subspecies gorganus is found in Central Europe, in the south of the Russian Plain and the northwestern Caucasus. In Japan, in the Kuriles and Sakhalin, there is a subspecies of hippocrates, in which a blue stripe (above the eyes of the hind wing) is placed between two black ones. The subspecies sachalinensis is not as imposing as other swallowtails, and stands out for its bright yellow coloration with intense black ornamentation.

In 1928, the Japanese entomologist Matsumura described two new subspecies of the swallowtail, chishimana Mats. (Shikotan Island) and mandschurica (Manchuria). For some scientists, they still remain in question.

For the Trans-Baikal steppes and Central Yakutia, two subspecies are common - orientis (found in the southern part of the range) and asiatica (living somewhat to the north). Subspecies orientis, with short tails on the wings and relief black color along the veins, is also distributed in the south of Siberia. An interesting color variant was noticed in the subspecies kamtschadalus - here there is a softening of the black pattern on the wings while maintaining the main bright yellow background, as well as a decrease in tails.

The basin of the middle and lower Amur is inhabited by the subspecies amurensis, a light yellow swallowtail with short tails. In the Amur Region and Primorye, the subspecies ussuriensis was identified, whose summer generation is distinguished by large-sized individuals - with a wingspan of up to 94 mm in females. Some taxonomists do not recognize the subspecies ussuriensis, calling it the summer form of the subspecies amurensis.

Along with those named, entomologists distinguish several more subspecies of the swallowtail:

  • aliaska Scudder - lives in North America;
  • centralis – east of the Greater Caucasus, Caucasian coast of the Caspian Sea, steppes/semi-deserts of the Northern Caspian, Talysh mountains, Kura valley and Iran;
  • muetingi Seyer - Elbrus;
  • weidenhofferi Seyer - the southern slopes of the Kopetdag;
  • syriacus is an Asia Minor subspecies found in Syria;
  • rustaveli - mid- and high-mountain landscapes of the Caucasus.

Partially recognized are such subspecies of the swallowtail as centralis, which is called only a high-temperature form of Papilio machaon, as well as weidenhofferi Seyer (a small spring form resembling the nominative subspecies).

Range, habitat

The swallowtail butterfly is well known to the inhabitants of the European continent (except Ireland and Denmark) from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea and the Caucasus. Representatives of the species feel good in Asia, including tropical, as well as in North Africa.

Fact. Swallowtail tends to forest, forest-steppe and mountain landscapes. In the mountains of Europe, for example, in the Alps, it is found at an altitude of 2 km above sea level, in Asia (Tibet) - at an altitude of 4.5 km.

Typical habitats of the swallowtail are open spaces, such as:

  • steppes and dry limestone meadows;
  • fallow;
  • mesophilic meadows;
  • tall grass and wet meadows;
  • city ​​parks and groves;
  • orchards and tree plantations.

Prefers well-heated biotopes with damp plots, where fodder umbrella plants grow. In the north, the swallowtail lives in the tundra, in the forests it flutters more often on the edges and clearings, flies to the roadsides. Does not shy away from artificial ecosystems, the so-called agrocenoses.

In the Caspian lowland (Azerbaijan, Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region) it adheres to dry hilly steppes or loose deserts with dunes. Migrating, individual swallowtails periodically fly into small and large cities, including megacities.

Swallowtail diet

In the steppes and deserts of Central Asia, wormwood becomes the main fodder plant. In the middle lane, the swallowtail feeds mainly on umbrella crops:

  • cow parsnip and carrots (wild / common);
  • dill, parsley and fennel;
  • angelica, celery and cumin;
  • gorichnik, buten and prangos;
  • gircha, cutter and girchovnitsa;
  • saxifrage femur, common cutter and others.

In other biotopes, the swallowtail feeds on a variety of rue (Amur velvet, hairy ash tree, all types of whole-leaved) and birch, including Maksimovich alder and Japanese alder growing in the South Kuriles. Adult individuals drink nectar, sucking it out with their proboscis, flying from flower to flower and not limited to umbrellas.

Reproduction and offspring

A female swallowtail can lay up to 120 eggs in her short life. The process itself takes place in the air, where the butterfly hangs over the plants, laying on the underside of the leaf or the side surface of the stem. In temperate climates, eggs are usually located on various umbrella or rue crops. In one flight, the female lays a pair, sometimes a trio of tiny round eggs, usually greenish-yellow in color.

The egg stage takes 4–5 days, after which a black caterpillar (larva) crawls out of it with light “warts” and a central white spot on the back. As they mature, the caterpillars change color to striated, in which pale green and black (with orange dots) stripes alternate.

The larvae actively eat and grow to 8–9 mm in a week. The caterpillar's favorite dish is flowers and ovaries, somewhat less often leaves of forage plants. The caterpillar is very tenacious and does not fall down, even when cutting the stem and moving it to another place.

Interesting. For a day, one larva of the swallowtail is capable of destroying a small bed of dill. But by the end of its development, the larva practically does not eat.

The final stage preceding the appearance of a beautiful butterfly is pupation. Transformation into a chrysalis occurs on the stem of the eaten plant or on a neighboring one. The color of the pupa is determined by the season. Summer ones are yellowish green and develop in only 2-3 weeks. Winter ones are always brown, as they mimic the color of bark and fallen leaves. They are reborn into a butterfly after a few months, when a steady warmth comes.

Butterflies are one of the few insects that do not cause disgust in humans. This is one of the most common and recognizable orders of insects. Science knows more than 180 thousand species of these creatures. They were grouped into 126 families. Scientists suggest that about the same number of species are still unknown to science. Let's talk about these insects in more detail.

Butterflies: description

Many people have heard about the butterfly effect. In 1952, thanks to Ray Bradbury and his novel "Thunder Came," this term of natural sciences became known to the townsfolk. Its essence is that even minor changes in the system can cause catastrophic and unpredictable consequences. So, in the book, the death of one butterfly under the boot of a time traveler led to the collapse of civilization in the future.

It is not known for certain whether butterflies are capable of destroying civilization, but their role in nature is incredibly important.

Here are some interesting facts about these insects:

Butterflies: features

In Russian, the word "butterfly" is similar to the words "grandmother" and "old woman". In ancient times, people believed that these insects were actually the souls of the dead.

The word "moth", used for this type of insect, is presumably of Czech or Polish origin. In these languages, a verb with a similar pronunciation means 'circling' or 'jerking'.

The word "moth", which denotes not the most pleasant representatives of this type of insect, presumably of Greek origin. In the original it meant ‘small cattle’.

The earliest remains of butterflies are found among the fossils of the Jurassic period. Scientists believe that one of the oldest species of butterflies was a moth that lived 190 million years ago.

Butterfly images have been found in ancient Egyptian temples and in Mesoamerican cities. In antiquity, people associated them with the souls of the dead. The Maya and the Aztecs considered them to be the embodiment of the souls of dead warriors and associated them with the war.

In Japan, ancient beliefs have survived to this day that a butterfly that flew into the guest room and sat behind a bamboo partition is a good sign that a loved one will come to the house. At the same time, the accumulation of butterflies is a sign of unhappiness.

Biologists classify butterflies as Lepidoptera. This detachment is characterized by metamorphosis - a complete transformation of the body during the life cycle. From the egg, a larva appears, which lives a certain life cycle and turns into a chrysalis. The latter, unlike the larva, is inactive or does not move at all. She does not need food and lives off the substances accumulated by the larva. A butterfly emerges from the pupa, which leads a fundamentally different lifestyle and feeds differently than the larva.

Butterflies are found on all continents. The exception is Antarctica. They survive even in harsh climates. For example, in Yakutia beyond the Arctic Circle lives a species of butterflies called Apollo. His brothers in the Himalayas live at an altitude of up to 6 thousand meters above sea level.

How long do butterflies live

The answer to the question of how long butterflies live, scientists give an ambiguous one. The duration of their existence depends on factors such as the stage of the life cycle and climatic conditions.

The standard life cycle of a Lepidoptera consists of the following stages:

  • Egg.

It may take 8-15 days before the caterpillar emerges from the egg.

  • Caterpillar.

The life expectancy of caterpillars depends on many factors, including living conditions. The life cycle of caterpillars is varied. Depending on the species, they live from a few days to several years.

There are species that live up to six years in the form of a caterpillar. In Greenland and Canada, there is a species of caterpillars that live up to 14 years. They are able to hibernate and endure cold down to -60 ° C.

  • Pupa.

In the intermediate stage between the caterpillar and the butterfly, the insect can spend from two to three weeks to several months, if the external conditions are unfavorable.

  • Butterfly.

The adult stage, called adults by biologists, lasts from a few hours to three weeks in a butterfly. It all depends on the type and conditions of residence. Among insects, there is a variety that is considered a long-liver. So, the Monarch is able to live in the state of a butterfly for up to nine months.

What do butterflies eat

The question of what butterflies eat is also not unambiguous. Among the wide variety of these insects, there are those that feed on plant nectar, and there are those that prefer rotten fruit, charcoal, sand or clay.

Butterflies called "dead head" prefer honey collected by bees, and in India and Malaysia there is a species of butterflies that will compete with mosquitoes, mosquitoes and even vampire bats. A separate species of bats consumes the blood and lacrimal fluids of large animals. They have a proboscis that allows them to pierce the skin of livestock.

There are also butterflies that live for several hours and do not need food at all.

How butterflies protect themselves from predators

There are several ways in which fragile insects protect themselves from predators. Here are the most common ones:

  • Polymorphism.

In Africa, there is a species of sailboat butterflies that do not have a single color variant, which increases the chances of survival of the species.

  • Poisons and bad smell.

Some species of butterflies have a pungent odor that repels predators. Others, while in caterpillar form, eat plants that contain toxins. As a result, the butterfly's body contains poison. For example, heliconids found in Central and South America contain cyanide. Birdwing butterflies in South Asia - aristolochic acid.

  • Aposematism.

Aposematism is a specific phenomenon of nature, in which the most poisonous animals have the brightest color, warning predators of danger.

Some species of butterflies, with their color, also indicate that it is better not to touch them. Others have eye patterns on their wings to deter predators.

  • Mimicry.

Some butterflies have developed camouflage that allows them to appear as inedible insects or blend into the landscape by taking on the form of twigs, leaves, and so on.

  • Anti-radar coating.

Night butterflies either have special hairs that do not allow nocturnal predators to detect them with ultrasonic signals, or, like a she-bear or a dead head hawk, they make special sounds that mislead predators.

Why are butterfly wings so beautiful?

Butterflies are not in vain referred to as Lepidoptera. Due to the numerous scales of an unusual shape, their wings have a beautiful color.

The scales differ in structure, color and arrangement, which gives the wings of an insect a unique look. Some species have scales that can transmit sunlight. Because of this, their color may change during the day.

Butterflies: the most beautiful species

Butterflies have long been attracted by their beauty and unusual shapes. Here are five types of the most beautiful butterflies:

Swallowtail

This species of butterflies was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in honor of the mythical healer, the son of Asclepius. According to legend, Machaon treated the Greeks during the siege of Troy.

37 subspecies of these insects are known. They live in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. The species is listed in the Red Books of several countries.

Butterflies can be recognized by the unusual color of the wings, in the corner of which there is a dark red spot with a black border. The front fenders are patterned in black and yellow, while the hind wings are blue and yellow.

peacock eye

The Latin name of this butterfly - Inachis - is a reference to the ancient Greek god of the rivers Inachus. Butterflies with bright red wings, reminiscent of the color of a peacock, and blue-black dots resembling eyes, live in Eurasia and Japan.

This species belongs to the centenarians among butterflies. In the steppe and forest zones it occurs in one generation, and in Ciscaucasia and Crimea it is able to winter and give a second generation. Butterflies appear in the first month of summer and are able to live for nine months.

Madagascar comet

These butterflies are endemic and can only be found in Madagascar. These are large nocturnal creatures. Wings can reach 180 mm in span. On the lower wings are "tails", thanks to which the species was nicknamed the comet. Their length reaches 16 cm.

These butterflies live up to five days and do not require food. They do not have a proboscis that allows them to feed on other butterflies. They can be recognized not only by the unusual shape of the wings, but also by the bright yellow color and brown eyes on the wings.

Greta Otho

A type of butterfly, which was called glass because of the transparent wings. It lives in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Reaches a length of 3 cm. The wingspan of an adult is 6.1 cm.

Greta Oto, before acquiring transparent wings, changes color several times. So, her caterpillar is green with bright purple and red stripes, and the chrysalis is silver in color.

A glass butterfly travels up to 19 km per day and is capable of reaching a speed of 13 km/h. Transparent wings protect the insect from birds during the flight. In addition, the caterpillar accumulates enough toxins for the butterfly to be poisonous.

Peacock-eyed Atlas, or Prince of Darkness

One of the largest night butterflies in the world. Lives only in Asia. With a wingspan of up to 30 cm, it has a disproportionately small body.

The name "Atlas" is a reference to a titan from ancient Greek mythology. The Chinese call butterflies the snake-headed moth. The end of the upper wings of insects resembles the head of a snake - this is a natural defense mechanism against predators.

Despite the formidable name, butterflies are completely harmless. They live only a few days and do not need food. In Asia, they are considered relatives of silkworms and are used to make fabrics. In some Asian countries, Atlas cocoons are used as wallets.

Butterflies are very diverse. Among them are diurnal and nocturnal species, vegetarians and predators, as well as those who do not need food at all. Each stage of their life (from egg to adult) is an independent life cycle. Since ancient times, they have surprised people with an unusual appearance and made them admire their beauty.

Madagascar comet or Madagascar Saturnia (Argema mittrei) - This representative of the peacock-eye family in nature can only be seen on the African island, after which it is named. Another name is found - Moon moth.

The longest butterfly in the world is also called comet butterfly: because of the 14-16 cm forked "tail".

Let's take a closer look at them...

Like its close relatives from the peacock-eye family, Madagascar Saturnia is distinguished by a small retracted head (with a double-crested antennae in the male), a bright color and a thick body covered with fluffy hairs.

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On each wing the size of a palm there are large eye spots. Peacock-eyes- one of the largest butterflies in the world. Wingspan 160-200 mm.

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These insects do not feed: they live off the nutrients accumulated in the caterpillar stage. A unique butterfly lives only 2-3 days.

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The color of the wings is bright yellow. Each wing has one large brown eye with a black dot in the center. Wing apices with brown-black spot. A narrow gray-black border runs along the lateral edge of the lower wing. A reddish-brown wavy pattern runs along the wings.

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Lower wings with tails up to 13 cm long in males. The male's antennae are large and feathery. In the female, the forewings are wider and more rounded. The tails on the hind wings are shorter, up to 8 cm long, and about 2 times wider than in males. The abdomen of the female is large, barrel-shaped. The apical yellow patches on the tails of the hindwings quickly break off and can only be seen in young butterflies.

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On the Madagascar successfully breed these magnificent butterflies on special farms.

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