For representatives of the order Lepidoptera is characteristic. Characteristics of the Lepidoptera order and its main families. Butterfly wings coloring - an endless variety of shades
The main feature of butterflies is the presence on their wings of the smallest colored scales, the location of which determines the pattern of the wing. These scales are easily erased, so the pattern on long-flying specimens is not as bright as on fresh ones.
The oral organs of butterflies in most cases are represented by a long, spirally twisted proboscis.
Sitting on a flower, the butterfly spreads its proboscis, immerses it deep into the flower and sucks out the nectar. Some butterflies do not feed, and they do not have a proboscis. By the nature of the activity, butterflies are divided into two large groups.
Diurnal butterflies fly, feed, lay eggs during daylight hours, usually in hot sunny weather, and hide in shelters at night. Butterflies, on the contrary, sit in shelters during the day, and actively fly at dusk and at night.
Diurnal and nocturnal butterflies can be easily distinguished by their appearance. Diurnal butterflies have very wide wings (Fig. 13, 4), which they fold at rest, extending vertically upwards and pressing against each other with their inner brightly colored side. Their body is slender, the chest and abdomen are thin, the antennae end in a mace. Diurnal butterflies are also called mace butterflies.
In night butterflies, the wings are narrower, and they fold them most often in a roof-like manner over the abdomen, or they keep them flattened to the sides.
The chest and abdomen of these butterflies are usually thick (Fig. 13, 1), the antennae are of various structures, but they are never club-shaped.
The flight of most diurnal butterflies is slow, fluttering, while that of the night butterflies is swift, with frequent wing beats.
Butterfly larvae are called caterpillars. A characteristic sign of caterpillars is the presence of fleshy false legs on the abdominal segments, the sole of which is equipped with hooks that allow the caterpillars to firmly hold on to plants.
Unlike the true segmented pectoral legs, the false ventral legs are not divided into segments.
Almost all caterpillars feed on plants and live openly on trees, shrubs and grasses. Caterpillars of some butterflies eat grain, flour, wool, wax and other valuable products and materials.
Most butterflies have no economic value, serve as a decoration of nature and deserve protection. Only a few species are useful, such as silkworms. A few more harmful species that damage agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and stored products and products.
Cabbage butterfly(tab.
2, 3) is one of the most common diurnal butterflies, well known for being an unpleasant companion of rural areas. This large white butterfly is difficult to find far from agricultural fields and vegetable gardens. Although its caterpillars are able to develop on wild plants from the cruciferous family, cabbage is concentrated in cabbage fields and vegetable gardens.
Caterpillars damage cauliflower and white cabbage especially strongly. They also develop on swede, turnip, rapeseed, mustard and other cruciferous plants.
Rice. 13. Representatives of the Lepidoptera order: 1 - odorous woodworm; 2 - motley; 3 - fingerwing; 4 - multicolor
Cabbage is very widespread, but it is not found in Siberia due to severe frosts and in Central Asia, where heat and dry air are unfavorable factors.
Butterflies fly in early spring, in the Moscow region, for example, from early May until late autumn. These are heat-loving and sun-loving insects; in cloudy weather or when the temperature drops, they hide among plants. They fly only in the daytime from 7 am to 6 pm. They feed on the nectar of flowers.
The female lays her eggs in clusters of 20 to 200 on a single leaf of cabbage or other cruciferous. In total, the female can lay up to 250 eggs.
Young caterpillars keep in clusters, they feed by scraping the flesh of the leaf. As they grow, they spread and begin to eat all parts of the leaf, except for the thick veins.
Adult caterpillars climb fences, tree trunks and other objects, attach their body with a silky belt in a vertical position with their heads up and turn into pupae.
The pupa is painted in a color similar to the color of the object on which the caterpillar pupated, which makes it hardly noticeable to enemies.
Cabbage often breeds in large numbers and destroys cabbage on many thousands of hectares. If the caterpillars eat all the cabbage in the breeding grounds, they crawl to neighboring fields. Caterpillars bring noticeable harm even with a small number: their green excrement falls between the leaves of the head of cabbage and causes it to rot.
During the summer, several generations of the pest develop. Butterflies accumulated in large numbers sometimes fly over considerable distances.
Cabbage is included in a large group of white butterflies, among which there are many harmful species - swede, turnip, hawthorn, etc.
winter scoop(Table 2, 12). As the name of the species indicates, the butterfly is a pest of winter cereals. However, in a number of regions it also damages sugar beet, vegetable crops, potatoes, and in the south - cotton and tobacco.
Scoops are nocturnal butterflies, which, on this basis, are often also called night bats.
The small head of these butterflies is surrounded by a hood of thick fluffy hairs and outwardly resembles the head of an owl, hence their main name - scoops.
A feature of the biology of most scoops is the negative reaction of caterpillars to light. Therefore, during the day, the caterpillars hide between lumps of soil, and at night they crawl onto the plants that they feed on.
The winter armyworm can develop on more than 50 different plant species. However, the pest concentrates on agricultural fields. This is due to the instinct of females to choose areas with sparse vegetation for laying eggs.
Therefore, females are attracted to plowed fields of winter crops or fields of potatoes and vegetables.
Females feed on flower nectar for a long time before laying eggs. Eggs are laid at night one at a time in plant debris in the fields or on weed leaves. One female can lay up to 2000 eggs. Caterpillars gnaw the stems of plants at the base, and often also eat germinating grains.
With a number of caterpillars of 10 specimens per 1 m2, winter crops are greatly thinned, and sometimes completely destroyed.
Having reached maturity, the caterpillars of the winter scoop burrow into the soil to a depth of 5–25 cm, arrange elongated caves with smooth walls there, where they turn into pupae.
In such caves, caterpillars hibernate, and turn into a chrysalis in spring.
Butterflies and caterpillars of the winter scoop have a monotonous color: the caterpillars are earthy gray with a smooth body; the front wings of butterflies are brown, sometimes almost black, with two kidney-shaped spots in the middle part.
Apple and plum codling moths. The caterpillars of these butterflies are known to all. These are the same pests that cause great damage to horticulture, causing the "worminess" of apples, plums, less often pears, apricots, thorns.
The female codling moth lays up to 100 eggs singly on leaves or young fruits. A week later, caterpillars emerge from the eggs. If the egg was laid on a leaf, then the caterpillar feeds on its pulp for some time, and then crawls onto unripe apples. Caterpillars, caught on an apple, immediately begin to feed on the pulp of the fruit, first eating away the tissues under the skin, and then penetrating into the thickness of the apple to the seeds, which they also destroy.
Caterpillars of the spring generation, which have populated the barely emerging fruits, after eating out the seeds, leave the first apple damaged by them and bite into the next one. Thus, one caterpillar spoils 2 apples. One apple is enough for caterpillars of the summer generation.
The “wormy” apple is perforated with caterpillar passages, these passages contain brown excrement, their walls eventually rot. The affected apple can be distinguished by its irregular shape and the presence of an exit hole, in which brown excrement is often visible.
The development of caterpillars lasts about a month, after which they crawl out of the apple, find shelter most often under the bark or in crevices of wood, weave a cocoon and pupate. Autumn caterpillars choose more sheltered places in the lower part of the trunk above the ground or between clods of soil, as they will overwinter.
Butterflies fly in the spring, when the apple trees have already faded and the excess ovaries on the apple trees have crumbled. They are grayish in color, small and inconspicuous; caterpillars are pinkish, with a lighter underside.
Plum codling moth spoils unripe plums. Females fly at night, find plums and lay one egg for each fruit. Caterpillars bite into the fruit, the surface of which is covered with spots, thickened juice protrudes from the course. Damaged plums often fall off or become covered with fungus and rot.
Adult caterpillars leave the plum and pupate in the upper layers of the soil or in cracks in the bark at the base of the trunk.
Room moth. This small straw-yellow butterfly is a representative of a group of moths, which, in addition to it, includes fur coat moth, carpet moth and other pests of clothing and various household products.
Whitish caterpillars of room moths eat wool and woolen products, fur, bristles, etc. Often, many dozens of caterpillars develop simultaneously in carelessly stored woolen things. Having reached maturity, the caterpillars spread, build cases in which they pupate.
If a mole flies around the room, then it is either a male or a female that has laid eggs.
Extermination of flying butterflies will do little. It is necessary to reconsider things and establish where the moth caterpillars live. The moth most often breeds in garbage and rubbish containing wool, from there it spreads to wardrobes and suitcases, where it destroys valuables.
gypsy moth(Table 2, 9). The name of this butterfly is based on the sharp differences in size and coloration of males and females.
The female has a thick body, off-white wings with zigzag lines and a slightly feathery antennae. The wingspan of the female (75 mm) is much larger than that of the male (45 mm). In addition, the front wings of the male are much darker, colored brownish-brown, his body is more slender, and his antennae are strongly pinnate.
Gypsy moth is one of the most dangerous pests of forests and gardens. Its caterpillars are able to feed on the leaves of more than 300 different plants, preferring oak, poplar and fruit trees.
In the north, the main food for caterpillars of this silkworm is birch leaves.
In summer, the female lays 300-450 eggs at once in the form of one clutch, which she usually places in the lower part of the tree trunk at a height of up to 50 cm. The eggs are protected from above by a dense layer of reddish hairs, which the female separates from the hairline of her abdomen.
Eggs overwinter, from which caterpillars appear in spring, in the first half of May.
On the front of the body they have 5 pairs of blue, on the back - 6 pairs of red warts.
Adult caterpillars gather in the crowns of trees in large groups, braid the eaten branches with silk threads and pupate in such nests.
The gypsy moth breeds in sparse forests weakened by livestock grazing and other anthropogenic influences. Reproduction is favored by hot summer weather after a cold winter without thaws.
Males of this nocturnal moth often fly during the day in search of females.
Silkworm and sericulture. On the example of the silkworm, one can trace the process of domestication of beneficial insects.
Cabbage (butterfly)
More than 5000 years ago, the silkworm lived in natural conditions. The Himalayas are considered its homeland. During this time, this species has become extinct in nature and is no longer found. However, it did not disappear, as it began to be artificially bred to produce silk.
Outwardly, the butterfly is unremarkable: it has white wings, the body is densely covered with hairs.
The caterpillar is also whitish, with a blunt horn at the end. It feeds exclusively on mulberry (mulberry) leaves.
Domestication has led to a change in the lifestyle of butterflies. It is especially interesting that butterflies have lost the ability to fly.
In addition to mulberry, in different countries other types of silkworms are bred to produce silk, for example, oak peacock-eye.
Sericulture is a branch of agriculture whose task is to breed silkworm butterflies to obtain ‘silk’.
It originated about 5000 years ago. In our country, silkworm breeding began in Central Asia about 1400 years ago.
At present, large mechanized sericulture state farms have been set up in the USSR.
A large number of eggs, the so-called grena, are obtained from female silkworms. Grena is disinfected and caterpillars are obtained from it in special incubators. Only the most viable specimens are selected for cultivation.
Caterpillars are fed with mulberry leaves on feed shelves in specially equipped rooms, in which favorable conditions (temperature and humidity) are maintained. Feeding lasts about a month. To obtain 1 kg of silk, 17-18 kg of mulberry leaves are required.
Before pupation, the caterpillar weaves a dense cocoon, releasing the finest silk thread about 1 km long.
The pupae in ready-made cocoons are killed with hot steam, and the silk thread is unwound on special machines. 1 kg of raw cocoons gives 90 g of raw silk.
The profitability of sericulture is increased by breeding highly productive silkworm breeds, improving the quality of the resulting silk thread, as well as developing various techniques that increase the percentage of males in the offspring; male cocoons contain 30% more silk than female cocoons.
Other common butterflies. Often found in rural areas is a bright red urticaria with black spots, the caterpillars of which live on nettles.
In summer, velvety-brown mourning women are common on country roads, the wings of which are edged with a wide dirty white stripe.
Of the small diurnal butterflies, the sky-blue pigeons and their related bright red fiery chervonets attract attention.
In the evenings, mostly modestly colored scoops fly near the flowers in the meadows.
Mimicry(Table 4, 10 - 13). There are many insects that have their own effective means of protection from enemies.
These include stinging forms, as well as insects that are distinguished by poisonous blood and for this reason are inedible. It is enough for a bird to try such an insect once, as it subsequently begins to avoid it.
An amazing result of adaptive changes are numerous defenseless edible insect species, outwardly very similar to stinging or poisonous species.
Among butterflies, for example, there are species that, in their appearance, color, and sometimes behavior, resemble other insects - either inedible due to the poisonous properties of blood, or protected from enemies by such defensive means as a sting.
Glass butterflies are interesting in this respect (Tables 4, 10), resembling wasps. In these butterflies, the wings became long and narrow, the scales disappeared on them and the wing became transparent.
The hairs on the chest and abdomen form yellow stripes and spots on a black background. An inexperienced observer will easily mistake such a butterfly for a wasp. The birds are also mistaken: although the butterfly is edible, they do not attack it, for fear of getting a sting.
Behavior also changes in glass cases: although they belong to nocturnal butterflies, they fly during the day when the wasps they imitate are active.
Sometimes this similarity is especially great. In the tropics, for example, there are heliconid butterflies that have a bright color.
They are inedible because of the unpleasant taste and pungent odor. They fly in swarms, in connection with which the frightening smell intensifies. Heliconids do not hide, have a slow flight, but none of the numerous tropical birds touch them. Two species of tropical white butterflies mimic heliconids in their coloration and behavior.
They fly together with heliconids and are so similar to them that predators do not touch these completely edible whites.
Mimicry is developed not only in butterflies, but also in other insects, and not only in insects, but in other animals.
The incomplete-winged beetle (Table 4, 12) from the family of woodcutters, quite common on flowers, looks very much like wasps.
If in most lumberjacks the elytra are fully developed, and the wings are not visible, then in the incomplete wing, the wings are visible almost along the entire length, since the elytra are greatly shortened.
Along with wasps, hoverflies (sirfs) are common on flowers. With their bright color, and sometimes the shape of the body, they are very reminiscent of wasps. Other types of hover flies and flies from the family of ktyrs imitate bumblebees with their color and pubescence.
A unique case of mimicry, which is sometimes distinguished as a special kind of adaptive behavior, is the imitation of some caterpillars of hawk hawks to tropical snakes.
In a resting position, the caterpillar of one of the South American hawks resembles a twig. However, it is enough to disturb her, as she raises and bends her body, inflates her prothorax and shows two bright spots resembling snake eyes. Such external similarity provides a strong deterrent effect.
Lepidoptera (or butterflies) is a rather numerous detachment of insects. It includes about 150 thousand species. Representatives of Lepidoptera are various butterflies, moths and moths. Their main habitats are forests, meadows, as well as fields and gardens.
Butterflies are characterized by two pairs of large wings, usually brightly colored. The wings are covered with small chitinous multi-colored or colorless scales laid like tiles.
Hence the name of the detachment - Lepidoptera. Scales are modified hairs, they are also found on the body.
Usually, in diurnal butterflies (lemongrass, cabbage, etc.), in a calm state, the wings fold together over the body. In nocturnal Lepidoptera, they are roof-like (for example, in moths).
The bright color of the wings serves butterflies to recognize representatives of their own species, and also often has a protective function from predators.
So in some Lepidoptera, the wings folded together look like a leaflet, that is, the insect disguises itself as the environment. Other Lepidoptera have spots on their wings that from a distance resemble the eyes of birds.
Such butterflies have a warning coloration. Usually moths have a protective coloration, and they find each other by smell.
Lepidoptera are insects with complete metamorphosis.
Caterpillar larvae emerge from the eggs, which subsequently pupate, after which a butterfly emerges from the pupa (imago is the adult sexually mature stage). Caterpillars usually live longer than adults. There are species in which the larva lives for several years, while the butterfly itself lives for about a month.
Caterpillars feed mainly on foliage, have a gnawing type of mouth apparatus.
Order Lepidoptera or butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Butterflies have a sucking-type oral apparatus, represented by a proboscis rolled into a spiral tube, which is formed from the lower jaws and lower lip. Adult Lepidoptera most often feed on the nectar of flowers and at the same time pollinate plants. Their long proboscis unwinds, and with it they can penetrate deep into the flower.
Lepidoptera caterpillars, in addition to three pairs of articulated legs, have pseudopods, which are outgrowths of the body with suckers or hooks.
With their help, the larva is kept on leaves and branches, and also crawls. Real legs are most often used to hold food.
Caterpillars have silk-secreting glands in their mouths that secrete a secret, which turns into a thin thread in the air, from which the larvae weave cocoons during pupation.
For some representatives (for example, the silkworm), the thread has value. People get their silk. Therefore, the silkworm is bred as a pet. Also, a silk thread, but coarser, is obtained from an oak silkworm.
Many among Lepidoptera pests of forests, agricultural fields and gardens.
Thus, with a strong reproduction of the oak leafworm and the Siberian silkworm, hectares of forests can be destroyed. Cabbage white caterpillars feed on cabbage leaves and other cruciferous plants.
BUTTERFLY, lepidoptera (Lepidoptera, from the Greek λεπ?ς - scales and πτερ?ν - wing), one of the largest orders of insects. About 140 thousand species; There are no reliable data on the number of species in Russia.
Distributed worldwide, most diverse in the tropics.
Butterflies range in size from very small (wingspan about 3 mm, some moths are tiny) to very large (up to 300 mm, South American scoop Thysania agrippina). The oral apparatus of the sucking type, in the form of a proboscis. At rest, it is folded between protruding lower labial palps. In non-feeding butterflies, it is secondarily reduced. The most primitive butterflies (primary toothed moths) have a gnawing mouth apparatus.
The eyes are complex (faceted), often with 2 simple eyes above them. The presence of hearing organs has so far been established only in the higher forms of the order with nocturnal activity. The auditory waves perceived by them lie in the region of high frequencies (15-80 kHz). The organs of smell are antennae (antennae) of various shapes, from bristle-shaped to club-shaped and pinnate. With their help, males of some species of butterflies find females by smell at a distance of up to several kilometers. They have 2 pairs of wings of various shapes.
At rest, they fold flat-horizontally above the body, one above the other (in many species of scoops, moths, moths), roof-like or vertically (in diurnal butterflies). To synchronize the work of the front and rear wings in flight, various mechanisms of their coupling are used. The composition and arrangement of the veins on the wings, as well as the features of the musculoskeletal system of the genitals, are the most important features underlying the classification of butterflies.
The wings and body are covered with scales (sometimes the wings are partially bare). Their color is varied and is determined by pigments or refraction of light rays in colorless scales (metallic luster).
Order Lepidoptera or Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
The coloring of many species is masking or bright, warning (in poisonous forms); mimicry is widespread - imitation of species that are inedible for predators or even stinging hymenoptera (in glass cases, some false moths). Often there is sexual dimorphism in size, color, structure of the antennae. Its extreme manifestation is the partial or complete loss of wings by females (some she-bears, volnyanka, moths) or even limbs (bagworms).
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Butterflies are insects with complete metamorphosis (see Insects).
Larvae (caterpillars) are worm-shaped, with a separate head capsule, gnawing mouthparts and developed silk glands. The secret secreted by them is used for weaving a cocoon, as well as fastening leaves, building nests and shelters. They have 3 pairs of thoracic and 5 pairs of abdominal, or false, legs (the latter are sometimes partially or completely reduced).
To protect against predators, various devices are used - from protruding odorous glands (sailfish) to poisonous hairs that cause severe irritation when in contact with the skin (cocoonworms, volnyanka, she-bears).
They feed mainly on leaves, to a lesser extent on other parts of plants, rarely on wood, sometimes on substrates of plant, less often animal origin (wool - clothes moth Tineola bisselliella, wax - wax moth Galleria mellonella).
Caterpillars of some tropical species of pigeons, scoops and moths prey on aphids and coccids; insectivorous caterpillars are also found in the moths of the genus Eupithecia from the Hawaiian Islands. Many species of the family Lycaenidae and Riodinidae form symbiosis with ants.
Aquatic forms of caterpillars with tracheal gills are known (from the superfamily Fire-like). Pupation occurs openly or in a silk cocoon on a fodder plant, in a food substrate, under stones, moss, or in the soil, sometimes in anthills (many pigeons).
The resting stage - the pupa - is usually covered type (wings, antennae, legs and mouth parts are soldered to the body); in the most primitive forms they are free and capable of movement.
Adult butterflies are diurnal, crepuscular or nocturnal. They feed on the nectar of flowers, the flowing juice of trees, rotting fruits and other decaying organic matter; many butterflies are found on animal droppings and carcasses or on damp soil.
Primary toothed moths feed on pollen. Some butterflies specialize in feeding on the lacrimal fluid of ungulates and proboscis; the moth Calpe eustrigata (Southeast Asia) is reliably known as a bloodsucker.
The way of life and behavior of butterflies is far from being fully studied. During the period of sexual activity, males of many species of diurnal butterflies show pronounced territoriality: occupying a certain area, they patrol it in search of females and drive away competitors. Some butterflies are capable of migrating long distances; the most famous is the North American monarch danaid (Danaus plexippus), returning to the places of mass wintering in Mexico and California.
The number of generations per year is different for different butterflies. Species that develop in wood can give 1 generation in 2-3 years. Winter diapause (rest period) occurs at different stages of development - from egg to adult (some nymphalids); butterflies living in arid regions often experience summer diapause (estivation).
The classification of the order at the level above the family has not been fully developed; according to modern concepts, there are at least 4 suborders, with a system of infraorders.
A group of families of true diurnal butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea) includes the largest and most beautiful species, which are a favorite collectible. Many butterflies, especially tropical butterflies, are traded and bred for special displays of live butterflies. Due to the threat of extinction, a number of species of butterflies are listed in the Red Books of many countries, including Russia; To protect these species, it is necessary to preserve intact and restore their natural habitats.
Many butterflies are plant pollinators.
Some species of butterflies are pests in everyday life (clothes moth), beekeeping (wax moth) or damage food stocks (grain moth Nemapogon granella, Plodia interpunctella moth, Ephestia kuehniella, etc.); during the period of mass reproduction, they can seriously harm agriculture, forestry and horticulture (winter and cotton scoops, corn borer, gypsy moth, nun, Siberian silk moth, American white butterfly, oak leafworm, shoots, codling moths, etc.).
Of the economically important species, the most famous is the domesticated silkworm, from whose cocoons natural silk is obtained; to a lesser extent, Chinese oak and ailanthus silkworms are bred, producing silk of the chesuchi type.
Lit .: Kuznetsov N.Ya.
Lepidoptera insects. Pg.; L., 1915-1929. T. 1. Issue. 2; Key to insects of the European part of the USSR. L., 1978-1986. T. 4. Ch. 1-3: Lepidoptera; Smart R. The illustrated encyclopedia of the butterfly world. N.Y., 1989.
A.L. Devyatkin.
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera, or butterflies, are one of the most numerous orders of insects from the type of arthropods. A characteristic feature of all representatives of the order is the presence of a scaly multi-colored cover of the wings.
Currently, about 150 thousand species are known, distributed throughout the globe, with the exception of Antarctica.
The fauna of tropical regions is especially rich in diverse, brightly colored butterflies. The order Lepidoptera includes two suborders: homoptera and heteroptera. The latter include most of the butterflies now known. These are colorful moths, peacock-eyes, night butterflies, nymphalids, moths, as well as inconspicuous moths, garden pests - leafworms, etc.
reproduction.
Insects of this order are characterized by a complete transformation in the process of development, that is, a larva hatches from an egg that does not look like an adult. Larvae (caterpillars) have a gnawing type of mouth apparatus and an elongated body. In addition to three pairs of thoracic legs, the larva has 2-5 pairs of abdominal prolegs - non-segmented oblong formations with claws at the ends.
The larvae of many species, such as the apple moth, form web nests where several individuals feed together and hide from enemies. The salivary glands of the caterpillar, in addition to saliva, also secrete silk threads, from which it weaves a protective cocoon for the pupa, into which the larva turns after several molts.
After a certain period, a fully formed adult insect (imago) emerges from the pupa. Lepidoptera imagoes are characterized by a short lifespan - from several hours (in non-feeding species) to several months.
Nutrition.
Types of butterflies: appearance, varieties, structure of the insect
The annual cycles of development of butterflies in different species are different.
Most species give one generation per year, some two or more. The vast majority of Lepidoptera are nocturnal, some species are active during the daytime.
Structure. The sizes of representatives of the Lepidoptera order vary widely - from 2 mm to 15 cm. The smallest butterfly is a baby moth that lives in the Canary Islands, the largest is the Maak sailboat, common in Europe.
Like other insects, the body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen.
The outer strong chitinous cover forms the outer skeleton.
All adults have two pairs of wings covered with modified scale hairs. These scales determine the pattern and coloration of the wings, thanks to a combination of colored and colorless scales that refract the sun's rays and give the wings a metallic sheen. The color of the wings can be bright, scaring off enemies, or faded, adaptive (for mimicry). All butterflies fly well, some are capable of long flights.
The oral apparatus of butterflies is of a sucking type and is a plastic, spirally twisted proboscis, for feeding on liquid substances, in particular, flower nectar.
Some moths are devoid of a proboscis, they have mouth organs of a gnawing type. There are antennae of various sizes and shapes - the organs of smell and touch. Large compound eyes located on the sides of the head are well developed. The presence of a hearing aid and organs of taste is characteristic.
All butterflies are dioecious. Some species show sexual dimorphism.
Meaning of Lepidoptera in nature and human life is huge.
Adult butterflies are excellent plant pollinators. But caterpillars of many species (for example, gypsy moth, white cabbage, apple moth) harm crop plants. Sometimes caterpillars of certain species are used in weed control. The mulberry and oak Chinese silkworm has long been bred by man to produce silk.
Many large butterflies attract with their beauty, for example, swallowtail, Apollo. Entomological collections, both private and scientific, have been collected for a long time. With the increase in the number of collectors, butterfly farms have even been established in some countries. More than 100 species of butterflies are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the Red Book.
Numerous orders of insects are conditionally divided into two groups. In representatives of the first group, the larvae emerging from the egg are similar to adults and differ from them only in the absence of wings. These include cockroaches, grasshoppers, locusts, bugs, praying mantises, stick insects, etc. These are insects with incomplete transformation. In the second group, eggs hatch into worm-like larvae, completely different from their parents, which then turn into pupae, and only after that adult winged insects emerge from the pupae. Such is the cycle of development of insects with complete transformation. These include mosquitoes, bees, wasps, flies, fleas, beetles, caddis flies, and butterflies.
What is metamorphosis and why is it needed?
Metamorphosis, i.e. a life cycle with a series of successive transformations is a very successful acquisition in the struggle for existence. Therefore, it is widely distributed in nature and is found not only in insects, but also in other living organisms. Metamorphosis allows different stages of the same species to avoid competition among themselves for food and for habitats. After all, the larva eats other food and lives in a different place, there is no competition between larvae and adults. Caterpillars gnaw on leaves, adult butterflies quietly feed on flowers - and no one interferes with anyone. With the help of metamorphosis, the same species simultaneously occupies several ecological niches (feeding both on leaves and flowers in the case of butterflies), which also increases the chances of a species to survive in a constantly changing environment. After the next change, at least one of the stages will survive, which means it will survive, the whole species will continue to exist.
Butterfly development: four stages of the life cycle
So, butterflies are insects with complete transformation - they have all four stages of the corresponding life cycle: egg, pupa, larva caterpillar and imago - an adult insect. Let us consider successively the stages of transformations in butterflies.
Egg
First, an adult butterfly lays an egg and thereby gives rise to a new life. Eggs, depending on the species, can be round, oval, cylindrical, conical, flattened, and even bottle-like. Eggs differ not only in shape, but also in color (usually they are white with a green tint, but other colors are not so rare - brown, red, blue, etc.).
Eggs are covered with a dense hard shell - chorion. The embryo under the chorion is supplied with a supply of nutrients, very similar to the well-known egg yolk. It is according to it that the two main life forms of Lepidoptera eggs are distinguished. The eggs of the first group are poor in yolk. In those species of butterflies that lay such eggs, inactive and weak caterpillars develop. Outwardly, they look like tadpoles - a huge head and a thin thin body. Caterpillars of these species should begin to feed immediately after hatching, only after that they acquire quite well-fed proportions. That is why butterflies of these species lay their eggs on a host plant - on leaves, stems or branches. Eggs placed on plants are characteristic of diurnal butterflies, hawks, and many scoops (especially arrowheads).
Butterfly eggs
In other butterflies, the eggs are rich in yolk and ensure the development of strong and active caterpillars. After leaving the egg shell, these caterpillars immediately begin to spread and are able to cover sometimes very considerable distances for them before they find suitable food. Therefore, butterflies that lay such eggs do not have to worry much about their placement - they lay them where they have to. Thinworms, for example, scatter eggs on the ground in bulk right on the fly. In addition to fine-weavers, this method is typical for bagworms, glass-cases, many volnyanka, cocoon-worms and she-bears.
There are also Lepidoptera that try to sink their eggs into the ground (some scoops).
The number of eggs in a clutch also depends on the species and sometimes reaches 1000 or more, but not all of them survive to the adult stage - it depends on factors such as temperature and humidity. In addition, butterfly eggs have no enemies from the world of insects.
The average duration of the egg stage is 8-15 days, but in some species the eggs hibernate and this stage lasts for months.
Caterpillar
A caterpillar is a butterfly larva. It is usually worm-like and has a gnawing mouthpart. As soon as the caterpillar is born, it begins to feed intensively. Most larvae feed on leaves, flowers and fruits of plants. Some species feed on wax and horny substances. There are also larvae - predators, their diet includes sedentary aphids, mealybugs, etc.
In the process of growth, the caterpillar molts several times - it changes its outer shell. On average, there are 4-5 molts, but there are also species that molt up to 40 times. After the last molt, the caterpillar turns into a chrysalis. Butterfly caterpillars living in colder climates often do not have time to complete their life cycle in one summer and fall into winter diapause.
Butterfly caterpillar “Swallowtail” Many people think that the more beautiful and brighter the caterpillar, the more beautiful the butterfly that has developed from it will be. However, it is often just the opposite. For example, from the bright caterpillar of a large harpy (Cerura vinula), a very modestly colored moth is obtained.
chrysalis
The pupae do not move and do not feed, they only lie (hang) and wait, spending the reserves accumulated by the caterpillar. Outwardly, it seems that nothing is happening, but this last stage of an amazing transformation can be called a “stormy calm”. Inside the pupa at this time, very important vital processes of restructuring the body are boiling, new organs appear and form.
The chrysalis is completely defenseless, the only thing that allows it to survive is its relative invisibility to enemies - birds and predatory insects.
Butterfly chrysalis “Peacock eye” Usually, the development of a butterfly in a chrysalis lasts 2-3 weeks, however, in some species, the chrysalis is a stage that falls into winter diapause.
Pupae are silent creatures, but there are exceptions: the pupa of the hawk moth dead head and the pupa of the blueberry artaxerxes can ... squeak.
Imago
An adult insect emerges from the pupa - imago. The shell of the pupa bursts, and the imago, clinging to the edge of the shell with its feet, while applying a lot of effort, crawls out.
A newborn butterfly cannot fly yet - its wings are small, as if folded, and wet. The insect necessarily climbs to a vertical elevation, where it remains until it fully spreads its wings. In 2-3 hours, the wings lose their elasticity, harden and acquire their final color. Now you can make your first flight!
The lifespan of an adult varies from a few hours to several months, but the average age of a butterfly is only 2-3 weeks.
In contact with
Lepidoptera are one of the largest orders of insects. According to various estimates, it includes from 90 to 200 families and more than 170 thousand species, of which approximately 4,500 species live in Europe. The fauna of Russia includes about 9000 species of Lepidoptera.
There is no single system for dividing a detachment into smaller groups. According to one of the classifications, 3 suborders are distinguished within the detachment - Jawed (Laciniata), Equal-winged (Jugata) and Different-winged (Frenata). The last suborder includes most species of butterflies. In addition, there is a conditional division of Lepidoptera into maceous (daytime) and different-whiskered (nightly) butterflies. Clubbous, or diurnal, butterflies have club-shaped antennae. Species that have pinnate, comb, filiform and other antennae are classified as different whiskers. Most species of butterflies fly at dusk and at night, but there are exceptions to this rule. For the taxonomy of butterflies, the venation of the wings and the patterns on them are of great importance.
Butterflies are characterized by the presence of two pairs of wings covered with modified hairs - scales ("pollen"). It is the diversity and beauty of the patterns on the wings of butterflies that makes these insects so noticeable and sympathetic to most people. The color of the wings of butterflies is determined by two types of color of the scales - the presence of pigment in them (pigment color) or the refraction of light on their surface (structural or optical color). Wing patterns can perform a variety of functions, including recognition of individuals of their own species, a protective function, and scaring off enemies. The color of the wings of males and females of the same species may be different (sexual dimorphism). The so-called androconial scales, which are found mainly in males, are usually located on the wings and have glandular cells that secrete an odorous secret. It is designed to recognize individuals of the opposite sex.
The wingspan of butterflies ranges from a few millimeters to 300 mm. The largest butterfly in the European part of Russia - pear saturnia Saturnia pyri - has a wingspan of up to 150 mm.
Another important distinguishing feature of the representatives of the detachment is the structure of the oral apparatus. The original, gnawing mouth apparatus has been preserved only in some lower Lepidoptera. Most butterflies have a thin and long proboscis, a highly specialized sucking mouthpart formed from modified mandibles. In some species, the proboscis is underdeveloped or absent. Twisted at rest, the proboscis has a length determined by the structure of the flowers on which the butterfly feeds. With the help of a proboscis, butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers, but some species prefer the juice of overripe fruits or the sweetish juice flowing from damaged tree trunks. The need for minerals causes butterflies of some species to accumulate on dirt, as well as on excrement and animal carcasses. Among butterflies, there are species that do not feed as adults.
Lepidoptera are insects with complete metamorphosis. The life cycle of a butterfly includes the stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. As a rule, butterflies lay their eggs on or in close proximity to plants that the larvae will later feed on. The larvae, called caterpillars, have chewing mouthparts and almost all of them (with rare exceptions) feed on various parts of plants. Butterfly caterpillars are characterized by the presence of three pairs of pectoral and up to five pairs of false abdominal legs. They are extremely diverse in size, color and body shape. Caterpillars of different species live singly or in groups, sometimes covertly, arranging web nests, covers or shelters from leaves. Some caterpillars live inside the plants they eat - in the thickness of fruits, in leaves, in roots, etc. There are serious pests among butterfly caterpillars, but most species do not cause significant harm to plants. At the same time, at the adult stage, many species of butterflies are useful, since they are good pollinators.
Butterfly pupae are covered with a dense shell. Only in the lower forms of Lepidoptera is the pupa free or semi-free. This means that her limbs and other appendages lie freely on the surface of the body. Most butterflies have a covered pupa. In this case, the legs, antennae and other appendages are glued to the body with a solidified molting fluid. The color and shape of the pupae are very diverse. A feature of many species is the presence of a cocoon, which the caterpillar weaves immediately before pupation, using the secretions of silk-secreting, or spinning, glands.
The variety of butterflies is very large. This is one of the most interesting and visible groups of insects. Not only their appearance, but also their way of life is of interest to both professionals and just nature lovers.
Butterflies are one of the most interesting groups of insects, not only from a biological point of view, but also in connection with their role in the history and culture of mankind. They are associated with ideas about beauty, formed by various peoples of the world. Legends about them can be heard in all corners of our planet. Butterflies are the object of attention of artists and poets. This is one of the few groups of insects that causes most people more positive than negative emotions.
The practical role of Lepidoptera in the life of mankind is also very great. It is to butterflies that we owe the development of sericulture. Butterflies are the most important, and sometimes the only pollinators of plants, without which our life would be hard to imagine. The caterpillars of many species of butterflies are the most important source of protein not only for insectivorous birds and animals, but in some countries for humans as well.
And finally, their main value is that butterflies are one of the many amazing and unique living creatures that inhabit our planet.
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The most airy creatures on Earth - butterflies - amaze the imagination with their beauty and diversity. Especially they fascinate people with their coloring. Many with their color palette resemble a peacock's tail or a motley fan. This living being is never disgusted. Nothing compares to the graceful and easy flight of a butterfly! Spring, beauty and eternity are associated with it. Butterfly is a symbol of happiness, fidelity, love, immortality. In another way, they are also called Lepidoptera. Biologists distinguish the following close orders of insects: butterflies, homoptera, dipterans, fleas. You will be interested to learn about the features of these wonderful insects.
Butterfly detachment, or Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera are the largest group of insects of the type. A characteristic feature of all representatives of the order of butterflies is the scaly multi-colored cover of the body and wings. These scales are nothing more than modified hairs. They have a different color, can make complex and bizarre patterns. These patterns serve as a disguise to hide the insect or signal inedibility. For most species, the patterns on the wings are of an identifying nature, so that individuals of the same species can recognize each other.
Another identifying feature of the butterfly detachment is the sucking mouth apparatus in the form of a long tubular proboscis. For eating, the butterfly puts forward a long proboscis, immerses it deep into the flower and sucks in the nectar.
The main source of food for the order of butterflies is the nectar of flowers, so they are considered the main pollinators of flowering plants. There is an opinion that with the appearance of flowers on Earth, butterflies arose.
Butterfly breeding
Everyone knows that butterflies are nocturnal and daytime. pass in the process of development First, they lay eggs, from which larvae hatch, completely unlike adults. These are caterpillars. With the help of the salivary glands, the caterpillars secrete saliva and it is from them that the caterpillars weave a cocoon for themselves for the chrysalis. The caterpillar will turn into it after passing several links. After some time, an adult butterfly (imago) flies out of the pupa. The longest lifespan of adults is several months.
Nutrition Features
The annual development cycle of a butterfly is different, depending on the species. Most often, butterflies give one generation per year. There are species that give two or three generations per year.
Individuality of the building
Lepidoptera can range in size from 2 mm to 15 cm. The smallest butterfly is considered to be a baby moth that lives in the Canary Islands. The largest species is the Maak sailboat, which is common in Europe.
Like other insects, butterflies have an abdomen, head, and thorax. is a strong chitinous cover. Butterflies have two pairs of wings with modified scale hairs. It is with the help of these scales that the wings acquire pattern and color. Butterflies can fly long distances. These insects are of two sexes.
Orders of insects: butterflies, homoptera, diptera, fleas
Today, there are about 150,000 scaly species that live on all continents except Antarctica. Tropical areas are rich in brightly colored butterflies. In addition to butterflies, there are several more similar orders of insects: homoptera, diptera, fleas. Let's get acquainted with the main representatives of each squad:
In nature and human life, Lepidoptera are of great importance. After all, butterflies perfectly pollinate plants. Many large butterflies, such as the swallowtail, Apollo, simply fascinate with their beauty. They become exhibits of many entomological collections.
Lepidoptera (or butterflies) is a rather numerous detachment of insects. It includes about 150 thousand species. Representatives of Lepidoptera are various butterflies, moths and moths. Their main habitats are forests, meadows, as well as fields and gardens.
Butterflies are characterized by two pairs of large wings, usually brightly colored. The wings are covered with small chitinous multi-colored or colorless scales laid like tiles. Hence the name of the detachment - Lepidoptera. Scales are modified hairs, they are also found on the body.
Scales under the microscope Usually, in diurnal butterflies (lemongrass, cabbage, etc.), in a calm state, the wings fold together over the body. In nocturnal Lepidoptera, they are roof-like (for example, in moths).
The bright color of the wings serves butterflies to recognize representatives of their own species, and also often has a protective function from predators. So in some Lepidoptera, the wings folded together look like a leaflet, that is, the insect disguises itself as the environment. Other Lepidoptera have spots on their wings that from a distance resemble the eyes of birds. Such butterflies have a warning coloration. Usually moths have a protective coloration, and they find each other by smell.
Lepidoptera are insects with complete metamorphosis. Caterpillar larvae emerge from the eggs, which subsequently pupate, after which a butterfly emerges from the pupa (imago is the adult sexually mature stage). Caterpillars usually live longer than adults. There are species in which the larva lives for several years, while the butterfly itself lives for about a month.
Caterpillars feed mainly on foliage, have a gnawing type of mouth apparatus. Butterflies have a sucking-type oral apparatus, represented by a proboscis rolled into a spiral tube, which is formed from the lower jaws and lower lip. Adult Lepidoptera most often feed on the nectar of flowers and at the same time pollinate plants. Their long proboscis unwinds, and with it they can penetrate deep into the flower.
Lepidoptera caterpillars, in addition to three pairs of articulated legs, have pseudopods, which are outgrowths of the body with suckers or hooks. With their help, the larva is kept on leaves and branches, and also crawls. Real legs are most often used to hold food.
Caterpillars have silk-secreting glands in their mouths that secrete a secret, which turns into a thin thread in the air, from which the larvae weave cocoons during pupation. For some representatives (for example, the silkworm), the thread has value. People get their silk. Therefore, the silkworm is bred as a pet. Also, a silk thread, but coarser, is obtained from an oak silkworm.
Many among Lepidoptera pests of forests, agricultural fields and gardens. Thus, with a strong reproduction of the oak leafworm and the Siberian silkworm, hectares of forests can be destroyed. Cabbage white caterpillars feed on cabbage leaves and other cruciferous plants.