Get ready for a journey into the colorful world of insects! You will see unusual butterflies and caterpillars common in the Moscow region, learn to identify them by their external signs and simply get aesthetic pleasure!
When we talk about the benefits of butterflies, we most often mean the properties of adult individuals. Thus, these insects are able to pollinate plants and attract birds to the garden. And if we mention harm, then here we are talking about the caterpillar stage, when the insect actively feeds on plants and can harm garden plantings. The butterflies themselves feed on nectar and are absolutely safe for plant health. Therefore, we will agree in advance that when we call a butterfly “harmful,” we mean its caterpillars.
Now let's take a closer look at the most common fluttering insects that you can find on your site, and determine which of them are useful and which are harmful!
Unusual beauty - Madagascar comet
It’s not for nothing that this bright beauty is called a comet; it is the longest butterfly in existence. Her home is considered to be the tropical island of Madagascar, which is known to many thanks to the popular and wonderful cartoon.
It’s just a pity that the lifespan of this butterfly is only 1-3 days. Due to the lack of a digestive system, the Madagascar comet simply cannot survive. And it was created so that you and I could, albeit for a short time, admire this beauty.
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Ursa
The front wings of this butterfly are dark brown, the span is 50 - 80 mm. The hind wings are red-yellow with black or dark blue spots. Dipper caterpillars are densely covered with brown hairs, which is why the butterflies got their name. Caterpillars feed on plants, some of which are poisonous. The poison accumulates in their body and remains in the body even after the caterpillars turn into butterflies. The venom of some species can be fatal to small animals.
Ursa
Sailboat Maaka - The most beautiful sailboat
The handsome Maak's Swallowtail is distinguished not only by its beauty, but also by its endurance. Unlike its tropical relatives, this species of butterfly is not afraid of the cold and feels completely calm in the eastern regions of Russia.
The color of a butterfly's wings depends on who is in front of us: a male or a female. Males are characterized by a more emerald hue, while females are more brown in color.
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Description of the structure
The body of a butterfly is divided into 2 large sections - the body and wings. The body includes a head, quite rigidly connected to the body. It has a round shape with a flattened nape. The large eyes, which occupy most of the head, have a round or oval shape, and a complex structure that allows insects to distinguish certain colors and perceive moving objects well.
Many species have additional eyes that are located behind the antennae. The significance of the antennae is to help insects navigate in space, perceive changes in air flow and capture certain odors. Length and structure vary from species to species.
The chest consists of three parts. The first, the smallest, includes three pairs of legs on which spurs are located to ensure the cleanliness of the antennae. The cylindrical abdomen consists of ten segments in the form of rings and spiracles located in them. The wings of the butterfly are covered with small scales, this is clearly visible in the picture created using macro photography. The size of the wings, color, and structure vary depending on the species.
The beauty of a butterfly's wings attracts with its beauty, but the color serves not only to attract the attention of people and the opposite sex among insects, but also to protect against predators. The color of the wings allows them to blend in with the environment, so the color will change depending on the habitat.
Peacock Eye - Bright and Colorful
The gorgeous daytime butterfly called the peacock eye got its name, as we already guessed, from its famous coloring, similar to the graceful bird. Her wings above and below are decorated with beautiful multi-colored ovals very similar to those that decorate the peacock's tail.
This beautiful creature lives preferably in Europe and Asia, but don’t be upset, this type of incredible butterfly can be found in more eastern regions, to do this you just need to go to a field or meadow, because this creature of divine beauty, unfortunately, does not live in megacities .
Mother of pearl - the enemy of apple trees, blackberries and raspberries
Argynnis paphia, wingspan up to 75 mm
The pearlwort is a fairly large daytime butterfly with an unusual spotted color. The name of the insect was given because of the iridescent greenish-silver spots by which butterflies recognize individuals of their species. In warm weather, you can see flocks of pearlworts busily flying over the flower beds. These lepidopterans are also found along roadsides, in clearings and near rivers. There are many subspecies of Argynnis paphia, each of which feeds on specific crops.
molbiol.ru
Most often found in the country are large mother of pearl. Food plants for its caterpillars are apple trees, blackberries, raspberries, and violets. The body of the larvae is covered with many villi.
How to deal with mother of pearl and its caterpillars. There are different ways to protect plants from caterpillars. The simplest is to install trapping belts or pheromone traps and inspect them regularly. Regular removal of curled leaves and attracting birds will also help. It is better to choose biological drugs: Fitoverm, Bitobaxibacillin, Entobacterin, etc.
Golden Birdwing - Talisman for prosperity
The Asian miracle butterfly is very popular in its country, as it is considered a talisman that brings material well-being. The butterfly got its interesting name due to the large size and color of its wings.
The color itself consists of two colors: the upper wings of the butterfly are black, and the lower wings are golden or, more accurately, yellow. The unsurpassed combination of colors makes this butterfly one of the most beautiful on our planet.
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Reproduction and transformation
The mating season of butterflies is characterized by courtship. It is very interesting to watch the aerial dances of insects.
Greta Oto - Glass Beauty
Of amazing beauty, the most graceful and sophisticated butterfly in the world is the butterfly with the female name Greta Oto. Her amazing wings are so thin and transparent that it seems as if they are made of the finest crystal.
You can meet such a little beauty in Mexico and Argentina, and it lives in humid, evergreen and flowering forests. This butterfly is a gourmet and feeds on the nectars of various poisonous flowers. And she does this in order to scare away her enemies with the possibility of poisoning. Clever, isn't it?
But about the most poisonous scorpions in the world, read an interesting article on our website.
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Benefits and harms
There is practically no harm from the admiral butterfly from an economic point of view. Adults are even useful because they participate in plant pollination. But caterpillars can actually eat leaves significantly, especially in hop plantings.
Photo: astroforum.tomsk.ru
Robin (50 photos): description of the bird, where it lives and what it eats
Morpho Peleida - Legendary beauty
This beautiful butterfly is associated with a legend about the origin of its name. The butterfly was named after the famous Greek hero, the mighty Achilles Peleid, son of Peleus and Thetis. First of all, it seduces us with its bright blue aristocratic coloring, and only then with its wingspan.
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Cetosia biblis
The pattern on the back of the wings of this delicate fluttering creature resembles Arabic writing, which was the name of the family - biblis, translated as “book”.
Insatiable caterpillars of cetosia eat poisonous plants, which subsequently make the insect larvae themselves poisonous. This is evidenced by the red-orange coloring of an already adult individual, warning of the danger of predators who want to feast on it.
In addition to its bright appearance, cetosia is also distinguished by its innate “cunning”. The moth knows how to pretend to be dead - sensing danger, the insect falls on its side and remains motionless until the threat has passed.
Glory of Bhutan - Unusual Moth
©
The unusual and peculiar shape of this species of butterfly attracts the attention of even those who are not particularly fond of insects of this species. And the wingspan and ability to camouflage by folding wings one on top of the other is surprising and amazing. The Indian beauty butterfly lives in mountains and forests, and is carefully protected by the state. Each wing has three tails of different lengths, which give the whole image sophistication and grace, and bright red spots loom like signal identifiers: “You can’t eat me, I’m inedible.”
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Diaethria eluina or "butterfly 88"
Each of the presented beauties is beautiful in its own way, but you definitely won’t confuse this one with any other moth. Its nickname is “butterfly eighty-eight”, and all because the insect has a secret, which, however, is revealed with the first flap of its wings - two adjacent figure eights are “drawn” on the inside of the pair. It can be assumed that the number brings good luck to its winged owner. However, among this species there are individuals that decide to stand out by “decorating” themselves with the odd “89” pattern.
Prince of Darkness - a terrifying name, but a beautiful content
The bottom photo is based on a photograph by the author: © Álvaro Rodríguez Alberich / flickr.
Peacock-eye Atlas or Prince of Darkness is one of the largest moths in the world, and its color is considered the most beautiful. The size of the butterfly is so large that in Taiwan their cocoons are used as a place to store small items or instead of a wallet.
The reddish-brown pattern on the wings looks very impressive. Once you meet her, you will never be able to forget her.
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Appearance and features
Photo: Meadow jaundice
The moth is easily confused with insects of the genus whitefish. Only their caterpillars, whose colors are very different, will help dispel doubts. The caterpillars of this species are bright green in color. On the back there are yellow stripes and dark spots arranged in two rows.
Video: Yellow butterfly
The color of butterfly wings is yellow, sometimes green. The size of the front and rear wings differs, as does their color.
- the wingspan of the male is 5-6 centimeters;
- females are several millimeters smaller;
- the length of the male's forewing is 23-26 millimeters;
- the length of the female's forewing is 23-29 millimeters.
The upper side of the wings is usually yellow, the lower side is grayish. On the top of the front wing there is a dark sector with indistinct yellow spots. There are two black spots in the middle. On the hind wings there are orange discal spots, with double spots on top. The lower part is bright yellow.
The female is much lighter and her background is almost white, with yellow scales. The pattern is the same for both sexes. The front wings are shaped like a rectangle, the hind wings are round. They are bordered by pink fringe. The head is round, the eyes are shaped like a hemisphere and are a complex organ consisting of six thousand small lenses.
The antennae are club-shaped, black, thickened at the apex, and pink at the base. The limbs are well developed, each of them is used when walking. There are receptors on the paws. The abdomen is thin, tapering towards the edge. The chest is covered with long hairs.
Now you know what the meadow yellow butterfly looks like. Let's see where she lives.
Urania madagascarica
This species of butterfly is also called Madagascar Urania, since it lives only on this wonderful island. The bright color, which includes several colors at once, was recognized as the most beautiful in the world. Another distinctive feature is the unusual, smooth and graceful shape of the insect’s wings.
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Extensive family
Butterflies represent an order of the insect class, a phylum of arthropods, and the animal kingdom; the total number of species exceeds three hundred and fifty thousand.
Butterflies belong to the order Lepidoptera, which is divided into a huge number of suborders.The ancient Slavs revered butterflies, considering them to be the souls of dead people and called them “babъka”, which means “old woman” or “grandmother”.
Oleander Hawkmoth - Caucasian pride
This type of moth can be considered the most aesthetically beautiful and unusual. You can safely call them a masterpiece of natural art, because if you look closer at them, you get the impression that the butterfly’s wings were painted by a talented artist.
Those who visit the mountainous Caucasus, its habitat, will be lucky enough to see this butterfly.
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Origin of the species and description
Photo: Yellow butterfly
The yellow butterfly (Colias hyale) is a butterfly belonging to the white butterfly family (Pieridae). The moth has several other names: hyal jaundice (1758), small peat jaundice (1761), common jaundice. The genus includes more than 80 species.
Interesting fact: The Latin name Colias hyale is given to the insect in honor of the nymph Hyale. She was a devotee of the vegetation goddess Diana. Together they went hunting and relaxing on forest lakes. Their images in paintings decorate the halls of museums.
The species was first described by naturalist Carl Linnaeus.
Due to its wide distribution, there are many subspecies of the moth:
- colias hyale hyale - common in Europe and CIS countries;
- colias hyale altaica - Altai region;
- colias hyale irkutskana - lives in Transbaikalia;
- colias hyale alta - Central Asia;
- colias hyale palidis - eastern Siberia;
- colias hyale novasinensis - China.
Interesting fact: During his long trip around the world, Charles Darwin was delighted by the sight of these adorable creatures when a population migrating to Indonesia surrounded his ship and landed on it to rest.
Royal tailed butterfly - The unsurpassed butterfly
One of the most beautiful butterflies on the planet is a butterfly from the blueberry family - the royal tailed tail. Her beautiful wings are decorated with long spurs, making her even more graceful and sophisticated. When at rest, the butterfly folds its wings in a vertical plane and becomes invisible among the foliage.
Its color can be different, but the most beautiful, according to the editors of most-beauty.ru, is blue.
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Where does the yellow butterfly live?
Photo: Common jaundice
The distribution range of the moth is very wide - Europe up to 65 degrees north latitude. The insect prefers warm temperate climates.
In Russia it can be found in many regions, with the exception of the north:
- Gorno-Altai;
- European Central;
- Pribaikalsky;
- Tuvan;
- Volgo-Don;
- North Ural;
- Kaliningradsky;
- European Northeast;
- Nizhnevolzhsky and others.
It can be found almost everywhere in Eastern Europe. In the east, near the Polar Urals, migrating individuals are often recorded. For a long time there was an opinion that the species does not live in the Ciscaucasia, but this has now been refuted. Insects do not fly to the Kola Peninsula, deserts and subzones of dry steppes.
Favorite places are open spaces of forests and steppes, meadows, clearings, forest edges, roadsides, gardens, river banks, wastelands. In flowering mountain meadows you can see the insect at an altitude of up to 2 thousand meters above sea level. Found in Turkey, China, Mongolia.
Interesting fact: In southern Europe and the Caucasus there are twin species that even entomologists cannot distinguish - Coliashyale and Coliasalfacariensis. Adults have identical coloration and, when the caterpillar stage ends, it is not possible to determine the species.
In spring and summer, lepidoptera migrate north in search of food plants. Lives in alfalfa and clover fields. Thanks to migrations, the species is found in the territories of Denmark, Austria, Poland, Finland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Netherlands.
Admirals are also not only strict, but also beautiful
Another giant butterfly with the beautiful name Admiral lives on forest edges, meadows and fields. This is a day butterfly. It can be found on flowers and trees from early spring to late autumn. The color of the Admiral's wings is very similar to marble, but there is a distinctive feature - these are white spots on the upper wings, so you will not confuse her with anyone else.
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Admiral
Another resident of our latitudes. In addition to Eurasia, the Admiral flew to North America and even New Zealand. In many ways, the admiral is similar to a peacock's eye. For example, in life expectancy and its stages. They lay eggs at the northern borders of their range.
The caterpillar looks like this:
But the admiral is a real traveler. While the peacock's eye hides from the frost, the admiral flies away to follow the sun, escaping the cold in the southern regions. In the spring they return to their homeland. Summer in Finland, winter in Greece - not a dream, but the ordinary life of an insect.
It feeds on both flower nectar, including nettles, and tree sap, and during periods of hunger, on humus. So the beauty is not in danger of extinction, but in some areas they are listed in the Red Book. However, the admiral’s number is unstable: in some years there are a ton of them, in others he is unprofessional and will not meet a single one at all.
People have long noticed that some butterflies do not fly to the sea for the winter. And only recently were they able to find out that these are different subspecies that do not even interbreed. Indeed, there are sedentary and migratory varieties. All butterflies are up to 6 cm in size, like a peacock's eye.
Queen Alexandra's sailboat
The rarest butterfly found in nature, its habitat is limited to only one village in New Guinea.
The colors of the female and the male are strikingly different, and it is worth mentioning that it is the male of this species that is considered the most beautiful representative of butterflies.
The emerald blue color of the wings makes it a desirable exhibit in any collection.
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Lifestyle
All behavioral and lifestyle features are directly related to constant migrations and a short life cycle. But we managed to systematize the information in a little more detail!
Habitats
The admiral butterfly is a very common species that is found almost everywhere. Be it Southern Europe, Central Asia, Siberia, Africa, New Zealand or Haiti - you will find these butterflies everywhere.
Photo: m.apkpure.com
Diet
The diet of the admiral butterfly is very diverse. This is flower nectar, tree sap, rotting fruits and even bird droppings. Taste buds are located on the tips of the legs, so the butterfly only needs to stand on the food to taste it.
Photo: publicdomainpictures.net
Migrations
Admiral butterflies are active migrants that spend most of their lives on the move. They travel thousands of kilometers in search of food and comfortable conditions for reproduction. An admiral who has just arrived from a long journey can be easily distinguished by his tattered wings.
Photo: drewmonkman.com
Wintering
Admiral butterflies also migrate for the winter. In general, they can hibernate, but they prefer to go to warmer climes - to the islands, North America or Africa. Before hibernation, they hide under the bark and all this time until spring they feed on accumulated fat deposits. Not all butterflies survive the winter.
Photo: memrise.com
Owl Caligo - Night Fairy
This spectacular beauty loves to walk at night, so she has ultrasonic hearing and even a voice. Its color is very interesting and beautiful, and its small scales are very pronounced. This is why large insect wings are often compared to snake skin.
Our night guest has a big sweet tooth, she loves sweet and overripe fruits, honey and sweet flower nectar. And you can meet this fluttering beauty in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
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Goldentail
This butterfly itself, as well as its caterpillars, have poisonous hairs. Touching such a butterfly can cause an allergic reaction. It is enough to simply touch the goldentail or its caterpillar so that the place of contact turns red and begins to itch. A serious problem can arise if a hair from the body of this insect gets into the eye. In this case, you cannot do without medical help. Lacetails live throughout Europe.
Goldentail
Even butterflies can be monarchs
The Monarch butterfly, or as it is also called Danaid Monarch, is the most beautiful miniature butterfly on the planet. Almost everyone knows her, because she, like a real model, appears on the covers of books, in various illustrations and even stamps.
And it is well deserved. Look at her clear pattern, on these little wings the smooth lines go very well with black and white polka dots, and you know, the classics have always been in fashion.
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Some facts
Saturnia toxins in the caterpillar stage can poison humans.
The monarch travels up to a thousand kilometers without resting
Butterflies don't sleep at all.
Hawkmoths can accelerate to sixty kilometers per hour.The peacock eye senses odors at a distance of up to ten kilometers.
Population and species status
Photo: Meadow jaundice
The number of peat jaundice is insignificant. In some areas, for example, in the Rivne Nature Reserve, at the height of summer 6-10 butterflies are recorded per hectare of habitat. At the caterpillar stage, insects cause significant damage to agricultural crops.
Some farmers use insecticides to control the larvae. This causes irreparable damage to the population. Extraction of peat and drainage of swamps negatively affects the natural habitats of lepidopterans; peat bogs are overgrown with trees and shrubs, which also leads to a decrease in numbers. Harvesting blueberries negatively affects the development of caterpillars.
In Western Europe and some Central European countries over the 20th century, numbers fell to critical levels. In biotopes, under suitable conditions, the number of individuals can be stable. In Belarus it is gradually decreasing.
Limiting factors include the isolation of individual populations, small areas of natural habitats, development of oligotrophic bogs, burning and development of raised bogs. In areas where individuals were found in isolated numbers, these factors led to a significant decline in the population or complete extinction.
Slug worm (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri)
Dozens of sparkling needles, as if covered with frost, decorate the body of this caterpillar, giving it an elegant, almost fairy-tale appearance.
Woodlice butterflies live in North America, from the states of New York and Florida to Colorado and Texas.
What does the yellow butterfly eat?
Photo: Yellow butterfly from the Red Book
Adults feed mainly on nectar, which they collect from the flowers of white sweet clover, sweet clover, broom, meadow clover, crescent alfalfa, alfalfa, multi-colored bobwhite, vetch (mouse pea), hypocrepsis, sweet clover, sainfoin, crested horseshoe and other legumes, rosaceae and cruciferous plants.
The caterpillars hatched from the eggs superficially eat the pulp of the leaves, leaving the veins behind. After the third instar, the larvae gnaw away the leaves from the edges, along with the skeleton. Before hibernation, caterpillars feed heavily for a month; in spring this period is 20-23 days.
The Marco Polo jaundice, named by Russian scientist Grigory Grum-Grzhimailo in honor of the Italian traveler, feeds on astragalus plants. Christophe's jaundice feeds on cushion-shaped plants. The Wiskott's jaundice selects slopes planted with acute wingweed. Peat jaundices feed on blueberry leaves.
Caterpillars mainly feed at night. The imago has taste buds on its paws that allow it to taste nectar. The elastic and movable proboscis allows you to penetrate into the depths of the flower to get nectar. Caterpillars of some species prefer to feed on the leaves of thorny plants.
Reproduction of brown beauties
The reproduction of winged species is associated with the ripening of Compositae. Twice a year the female lays 1 egg on the leaves of plants used for food. The food base is hops, stinging nettle, thistle and stinging nettle.
The egg has a decorative oval shape with ribs around the perimeter. After 2 weeks, a fluffy caterpillar covered with long spike-like hairs appears from the clutch. Peak development of the caterpillar occurs after 1.5-2 months. She transforms into a pupa, which is suspended from a leaf head down.
Butterfly admiral
