Morphology of Lepidoptera. Structure of a butterfly External structure of a butterfly diagram

External structure butterfly bodies

Like other insects, the butterfly's body is divided into three parts: head, chest and abdomen. Each of these parts is quite clearly separated from the other. The head has a round or conical shape. On it you can distinguish eyes, antennae and mouthparts. The eyes are located on the sides of the head, they are quite large and consist of many smaller facets. In some species of butterflies they are naked, in others they are covered with hairs. The antennae, or antennae, are organs of smell; they are placed on the forehead between the eyes and consist of a large number of small segments. Their length is various groups butterflies are not the same. They are very diverse in shape, and even in the same species, males and females often differ in the shape of their antennae. Daytime butterflies have a simpler antennae structure. IN general view in the latter they thicken towards the end and form a club-shaped shape. Despite some details in the structure of the antennae of diurnal butterflies, their named shape remains constant, as a result of which the entire group of these butterflies also received the name club-whiskers, in contrast to all the others, which have a varied antennae structure. Below the forehead are the oral organs, which consist of a proboscis and labial palps or tentacles. The proboscis in a calm state is an elongated, spirally coiled tube formed by two tightly touching grooves. The proboscis serves the butterfly to take liquid food (flower juice, water) and unwinds during sucking. All diurnal butterflies have a well-developed proboscis. A pair of labial palps extends near the base of the proboscis, covering the latter on the sides. They consist of three, often unequal in size, segments, usually covered with scales or hairs and, according to their position, in daytime butterflies they are directed forward or stick out upward. The integument of the palps, the size of their segments and position are of systematic importance and are taken into account when identifying butterflies.

The head is connected to the chest - the second part of the body, consisting of three fused segments, or segments. A pair of legs is attached to each chest segment below, and a pair of wings is attached to the second and third segments above. Each leg consists of five parts: two short ones (coxa and trochanter), forming its base, and three more elongated ones - the femur, tibia and tarsi. The tarsus, in turn, consists of four or five small segments, of which the last usually bears a pair of claws. The structure of the legs of butterflies, in particular of day butterflies, or club-whiskers, is characteristic and is taken into account when determining their families and partly genera. For example, in some families (nymphalids) there is underdevelopment of the front legs, which cannot serve them for walking. On the legs, especially on the lower leg, a number of genera have hairs, sometimes covering them more or less completely, sometimes presented in the form of hair tassels. On the shins, in addition, as well as on the paws, one can also notice thin spines or thicker, needle-shaped spurs. All club moths have normally developed wings, but in the females of some silkworms and moths they are underdeveloped. The shape of the structure and the color of the wings are well-known signs when identifying butterflies, so we will dwell on their description in some detail.

The first pair of wings, attached to the second segment of the chest, is called the anterior, and the second pair, attached to the third segment of the chest, is called the rear. On each wing there are three parts: the basal, or main (basal), the middle and the outer, or outer. Each side, or edge, of the wing has its own name. The distance from the base of the wing to its apex is called the anterior, or costal, edge. The distance from the base of the wing to the lower corner of the wing triangle is the inner, or lower (dorsal) edge, and, finally, from the apex of the wing to its lower corner - the outer, or outer, edge (see Fig. 1). Then the upper and lower sides of the wing are also distinguished. The latter is often called the underside.

The two-layer membrane of the wing is cut through a system of veins, the number and arrangement of which are characteristic of the family individual genera. The surface of the wings of butterflies is covered with scales and often so thick that they hide the flow of veins. Therefore, in order to better examine the venation, you should moisten with a drop of xylene the place on the wing that you want to examine, which is why the latter remains transparent until it dries.

The parts of the wing enclosed between the passing veins are called cells, or cells. The name of the veins, their location and the arrangement of the cells are shown in Fig. 1. Of the cells when identifying butterflies, we will most often mention the so-called median cell, closed on top by radial, below by ulnar, or cubital, and on the outside by discal, or transverse, veins. The latter are absent in many genera of diurnal butterflies, and in this case the middle cell is called open, in contrast to the first, called closed.

The scales covering the surfaces of the wings are most often arranged in a tiled pattern. Having grains of pigment, they paint the wings in different colors and form one or another pattern on their surface. The scales located along the outermost edge of the wing are longer and form the wing fringe, which is often different in color from the color of the surface of the wings. She may be sure sign when identifying species. The males of many diurnal butterflies also have odorous, or androconial, scales, which are a recognition apparatus for females of their species, which prevents crossing between closely related species. In some species, androconial scales are scattered singly over the surface of the wing and can only be seen under a microscope; in other species, they are concentrated in certain areas of the wing and then stand out as velvety spots (in tailworts), stripes (in marigolds and pearlworts) or in the form of oblique strokes (in some fatheads). Less commonly, androconia can be found on the tibiae of the legs or at the costal edge of the forewings.

When describing the color of butterflies in our key, the following names of parts of the wing pattern are often mentioned: 1) the median spot lying on the transverse vein; 2) lines running across the wing; 3) spots - the shape can be round, angular, ocellated and semilunar (lunate); 4) dots, 5) strokes, 6) stripes and 7) bands. The latter represent a wide transverse stripe merged from a number of spots in contact with each other. Based on their location on the wing, all of these parts of the pattern are also called basal, median, marginal, or premarginal (submarginal), and marginal.

In the majority of diurnal butterflies, the upper side of the wings is brighter colored than the lower. When at rest, their wings are always raised up, and as a result their bright color is hidden. The underside of the wings, which is duller in color and in the resting pose of a butterfly usually harmonizes with the surrounding environment, has patronizing connotation. In the case when the underside of the wings merges with the general background where the butterfly has settled, they speak of sympathetic coloring (for example, marbled marigold on the trunks of many broad-leaved tree species). In the same case, when the shape and color of the wings of a sitting butterfly resemble individual items inanimate nature(for example, Frivaldsky's tail, sitting on the branches of forest bushes, becomes like a shriveled, blackened leaf), they speak of a protective similarity.

As for biological significance bright coloring of the upper side of the wings, it allows butterflies to developed vision find each other during the breeding season. In the same time bright color When butterflies fly, they attract insectivorous birds, which, it would seem, should destroy them en masse. However, the ability of a butterfly to suddenly change direction when flying, make zigzags or jerky movements allows it to elude its pursuer. At the same time, the bright color revealed during the flight of a butterfly can deceive birds. When chasing flying butterflies, birds often grab them by the wings without touching other parts of their body, and thanks to this, the butterfly remains alive. In the Ussuri forests, rich in variegated daytime butterflies and inhabited by many species of insectivorous birds, this can be easily verified on the mass of collected material by calculating the percentage of defective specimens (with torn wings) that were persecuted by birds.

In connection with what has been said about the color of butterflies, it should be mentioned that there are no examples of differences in the color of males from females (sexual dimorphism), as well as examples of differences in color between individuals of the same species flying at different times of the year (seasonal dimorphism), in our there is a lot of fauna. Anyone who starts working with our determinant will constantly be convinced of this. A striking example sexual dimorphism may serve as one of large species of our forest pearls - unpaired mother of pearl. The male of this butterfly is bright red on top, like many of his other relatives, and on the bottom of the hind wings, a bluish wavy line running in the middle divides the wing into two parts: the outer one is brown with a purple tint and the inner one is reddish-yellow. The female, in color and pattern on both the upper and lower sides, not only does not have any resemblance to the male of her species, but rather resembles species of the genus of ribbon flies, in whose flight conditions she can most often be found. In this case, we observe not only an example of sexual dimorphism, but also the phenomenon of mimicry.

The chest is connected to the third part of the body - the abdomen, which consists of 10 segments, or segments. Three or four terminal segments of the abdomen are transformed into parts of the reproductive apparatus. In the male, it is distinguished externally in the form of two leaf-shaped valves located below (valvae), and a hook-shaped appendage (uncus), located above the valvae from above. In the female, the end of the abdomen is more pointed and its segments bear anal papillae, and sometimes tufts of odorous scales.

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

This article will answer all questions.

All about butterflies

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

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

Appearance and structure

The butterfly consists of two sections:

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

Body structure:

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

Types of butterflies with brief characteristics

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

Belyanki:

Cocoonworm family

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

Blueberry family

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

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

Parsley family

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

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

Volnyanka

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

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

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

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

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

Marigold

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

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

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

On our website you can also find information on morphology, physiology and ecology of diurnal butterflies: etymology of the name, total number of butterflies, size of butterflies, morphology of butterflies: body structure, structure of butterfly wings, internal organs, pigments and coloring of butterfly wings, color polymorphism, physiology of butterflies: flight, nutrition, reproduction, life cycle of butterflies, pupa and imago, distribution of butterflies, ecology of butterflies, territorial behavior and migrations of butterflies, relationships with other organisms, protection from predators, the role of butterflies in nature, taxonomy and classification of butterflies, protection of Lepidoptera, Lepidoptera and humans, economic importance of butterflies, Lepidoptera in human culture.

HANDBOOK ON MORPHOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF Lepidoptera

Morphology of Lepidoptera

Body structure

Like all insects, the body of butterflies is divided into three main departments: head, chest and abdomen (see Fig. 1). On the outside, it is protected by a hard chitinous covering that forms the exoskeleton.

Rice. 1. Body structure of a butterfly

Head

The head of butterflies is inactive, free, round in shape, with a flattened occipital surface (Fig. 2). Cervical sclerites are well developed, triangular or L-shaped. The tentorium is P- or (in a number of primitive families, for example, Agathiphagidae) Y-shaped, in primitive families (for example, Micropterigidae, Eriocraniidae) also with well-defined dorsal processes.

Rice. 2. Butterfly head and scales

Mouthparts Lepidoptera are diverse. A number of primitive families (for example, Micropterigidae, Heterobathmiidae) have a gnawing mouthparts, with functioning mandibles and developed chewing lobes of the maxillae.

In most species of lepidoptera, the oral apparatus is already of the sucking type - proboscis. It is formed by highly modified lower jaws, forming a tube, spirally coiled at rest. The proboscis consists of two semi-tubular parts, which touch the edges and are fastened by bristles overlapping each other. The proboscis is used for feeding liquid food. Inside it there are small sensitive hairs that perform a receptor function.

Adults (imagoes) of a number of species have reduced mouthparts (for example, clothes moths, peacock moths and many others), do not feed at all and live solely on the reserves of nutrients accumulated in the caterpillar stage.

The upper jaws of Lepidoptera are absent or represented by small tubercles. Underlip reduced, forms a triangular or heart-shaped ridge at the base of the proboscis on the lower side. Her palpi well developed and consist of three segments (see Fig. 2).

In club moths and hawkmoths, on the last segment of the palps there is a deep-lying pit, in the lower part of which there are sensitive receptors in the form of cones. Its opening is located at the free end of the palp and is surrounded by a number of scales.

Image of the head of a moth (Pyralidae) obtained using a scanning electron microscope.

On the sides of the head there are hemispherical, well-developed, complex, facet-type eyes, consisting of a large number (up to 27,000) ommatidia, giving an overall mosaic image. The eyes are usually bulging, round or oval, sometimes kidney-shaped. They occupy a significant part of the lateral area of ​​the head and are surrounded by hairs diverging into a corolla. Sometimes the entire eye cuticle is covered with thin short hairs.

Lepidoptera are able to distinguish colors, but to what extent has not yet been studied enough. Some butterflies, such as the wren (Aglais urticae) and the cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae), see the color red, while satyrs (Satyrinae) do not. Butterflies are most attracted to two colors - blue-violet and yellow-red. Butterflies also perceive ultraviolet part of the spectrum, are sensitive to polarized light and are able to navigate in space using it. Moving objects are distinguished much better than stationary ones.

In addition to the compound eyes, Lepidoptera often have 2 parietal simples behind the antennae on the crown of the head. peephole. The frontal ocellus is absent.

Mustache are located on the border between the crown and forehead and are sensory organs that perceive odors and air vibrations. The antennae also help maintain balance when flying. By structure There are bristle-like, filiform, club-shaped, hooked, comb-like, and feathery types of antennae. In males that search for females by pheromones (peacock eyes, moths), the antennae are highly branched and have a much larger surface area than those of females.

The antennae have different length from representatives different groups. In representatives of the family, long-whiskered moths, especially in males, significantly exceed the body length, and in slender moths they are greatly shortened, slightly longer than the head, and in wingless female bagworms, they are almost completely reduced. The number of segments in the antennae usually reaches several dozen. The first segment, or scape, is larger than the others.

Breast

The thorax of Lepidoptera, like that of all insects, consists of three segments: prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax - bearing three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings (see Fig. 1). The prothorax is significantly smaller than the pterygonarial segments (meso- and metathorax); its tergite usually bears a pair of separate plates (patagia), the most developed, mainly in representatives of the noctuid family.

The tegulae (movably articulated plates at the base of the wings) of the mesothorax are powerfully developed, covered with scales, almost completely cover the bases of the fore wings and are clearly visible, unlike most orders of insects.

Structure legs most butterflies are typical of insects, they walking or running. The coxae are large, their connection with the thorax is inactive, the free part of the leg includes the trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus (in most species, all tarsi are five-segmented with a pair of claws at the end)

TO specific features The detachment should include the characteristic formula of spurs (1-2-4) - spines movably articulated with the shins. In the middle of the front tibia, as a rule, there is one spur - the so-called epiphysis, used for cleaning the antennae. The middle tibia bear one pair of spurs at its apex, and the hind tibia have two pairs, which are located in the middle and at the top of the tibia. In some groups of butterflies, some of the spurs are reduced.

In representatives of a few groups, the legs are exposed to more or less significant reduction: in males of the slender weaver Hepiolopsis hecta, the hind legs are reduced, and the hind tibiae are spatulate-shaped and bear odorous scales. The legs of females of some bagworms (Psychidae) are almost completely reduced. Some day butterflies The front legs are reduced to one degree or another, in blue butterflies - less significantly, in nymphalids - to the point of complete loss of the ability to walk, as a result of which these butterflies move on four legs (middle and hind). Most species have taste buds on their paws—modified sensilla.

Abdomen

The abdomen of Lepidoptera usually consists of 9-10 segments, the first of which is partially reduced, its sternum fused with the sternum of the second segment. The remaining segments are distinguished by their simplicity and constancy of structure, forming sclerotized rings, interrupted on the sides by membranous areas - pleurites and equipped with spiracles up to segment VII inclusive.

Usually the IX-X segments of males carry copulatory appendages, and the VIII-X segments of females are transformed into a more or less developed telescopic ovipositor. The male genitalia in a calm state are retracted inside the VIII segment of the abdomen, and move out only before copulation. Their skeletal basis is segment IX, which in archaic forms is a solid sclerotized ring - the annulus. In more developed taxa, segment IX is usually divided into a dorsal part, the tegumen, and a ventral part, the vinculum. Their structural features are sometimes used to diagnose families, subfamilies and tribes.

A number of families, for example, noctuids, moths, and many moths, have a peculiar organ of hearing- the so-called tympanic apparatus, which is a membrane-covered recess of the metathorax or the first two segments of the abdomen, equipped with mechanoreceptors. Sound vibrations propagating in the air cause the membrane to vibrate, which causes excitation of the corresponding nerve centers. These organs are capable of perceiving ultrasonic vibrations from 10 to 100 kHz.

On the pages of our website you can also read entomology textbook: Introduction, Subject and tasks of entomology, Brief outline of the history of entomology, Basic principles of insect taxonomy, Structure of insects, Nervous activity of insects, Reproduction of insects, Development of insects, Life cycles, Diapause, Protective devices and social lifestyle, Nutrition and feeding specialization of insects, Distribution insects, fluctuations in insect numbers, and educational book Doctor of Biological Sciences V.A.Krivokhatsky "Antlion"

The report on butterflies presented in this article will tell you about insects that were revered in the old days because they were believed to be the souls of the dead.

Message about butterflies

Appearance and structure of butterflies

In the structure of this insect there are 2 main sections: the body, which is protected by a chitinous hard shell, and the wings.

In turn, the body consists of:

• Heads. It is inactive and connected to the chest. Butterflies have a round head, and the back of the head is slightly flattened. Oval or round convex eyes have the appearance of hemispheres and occupy almost the entire lateral part of the surface of the head. The eyes are characterized by a complex facet structure. It is worth noting that these insects color vision, besides, they perceive moving objects better than stationary ones. Some species have additional parietal simple eyes that are located behind the antennae. The structure of the oral apparatus can be of the gnawing sucking type, it all depends on the species.
• Breasts. They have a three-segment structure. The anterior thoracic part is smaller than the middle and posterior parts. It contains 3 pairs of legs with characteristic structure: There are spurs on the shins that help maintain the hygiene of the antennae.
• Abdominals. They consist of 10 segments, ring-shaped with spiracles. The abdomen of butterflies themselves has the shape of a long cylinder.
• Usikov. In butterflies they are located on the border of the frontal and parietal parts of the head. Thanks to their antennae, insects can navigate natural environment, perceiving various odors and air vibrations. The structure and their length depend on what species the butterflies belong to.
• Krylyev. These lepidopteran animals have 2 pairs of wings, which are covered with flat scales and are also characterized by a membranous structure with longitudinal and transverse veins. What is distinctive is that butterflies have beautiful patterns on their wings.

Types and classification of butterflies

There are more than 158,000 representatives in the Lepidoptera order. There are several qualifications, but the following is considered the most successful (it divides the squad into 4 subgroups):

• Primary toothed moths. These include small butterflies. Their wingspan ranges from 4 to 15 mm. The mouthparts are gnawing type. This family includes 160 species. The most common representatives: marigold smallwing and golden smallwing.
• Proboscis butterflies. The wingspan is no more than 25 mm and they are covered with small dark scales with black or cream spots. The most common representatives: moth fir cones and flour moth.
• Heterobathmya. They are represented by only one family - Heterobathmiidae.
• Proboscis butterflies. This large family includes more than 150,000 species of butterflies. The most famous proboscis butterflies are: swallowtail, "Glory of Bhutan", Queen Alexandra's birdwing, admiral, wren, peacock's eye

Where do butterflies live?

Butterflies are common throughout to the globe except Antarctica. The largest concentrations of insects are in India and Peru.

What do butterflies eat?

They primarily feed on pollen and nectar. flowering plants. Most species consume tree sap, rotting and overripe fruit. But some species, for example, nymphalids, need various microelements and additional moisture. To do this, they drink the urine, sweat and tears of crocodiles.

Reproduction and life cycle of butterflies

During the courtship period, butterflies express their mating intentions through flight and dancing. From the male, in addition to sperm, the female also receives a supply of proteins and microelements. The life cycle of insects includes 4 stages:

• Egg. The stage lasts 8-15 days.
• Caterpillar. The butterfly at this stage has the shape of a worm.
• Doll. It comes in cylindrical or round shape.
• Transformation into a butterfly. The lifespan of an insect ranges from a couple of hours to 10 months.

With the arrival of winter, some butterflies die, while other species survive the cold in the egg stage. But there are insects that overwinter in hollows or cracks in the bark.

• The Saturnia butterfly, which is in the caterpillar stage, can kill a person with its poison.
• They don't sleep.
• The peacock butterfly can smell up to 10 km away.
• The smallest butterfly is the little moth. Its wingspan is 2 mm.
• The Madagascan hawk moth has the longest proboscis. Its length is 28 cm.

We hope that the report about butterflies helped you learn a lot interesting information about these insects. You can leave your message about butterflies using the comment form below.

Butterfly - bright and beautiful insect with large multi-colored wings that flutter all summer from flower to flower, helping its pollination. But where does the butterfly live, where does it sleep, what does it eat, how does it spend winter months, - the answers to these questions will be of interest to every inquisitive person.

Butterfly world

Representatives of the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies according to the biological hierarchy, can be found on almost all continents and in any climate, except the coldest - Antarctica. They love to fly in flowering meadows in mid-latitudes and among the ice of Greenland, on the islands Pacific Ocean and in the highlands of the Himalayas.

Butterflies belong to the most numerous and ancient order, which has more than 158 thousand species. Lepidoptera are cold-blooded (ectothermic) insects that can regulate their own body temperature by taking heat from the outside or releasing it into environment. Because of this, most of their species prefer to live in tropical climates.

A butterfly is called an insect with complete transformation, i.e. its development goes through all stages: eggs, larvae or caterpillars to pupa and adult (imago). Also for most Lepidoptera characteristic feature body structure is the presence oral apparatus with a proboscis through which they drink nectar. They also have a wide variety of wing shapes and sizes: from 2 mm to 28 cm.

Where the butterfly lives, what it eats and its lifespan most often depend on the climate zone: these insects prefer hot and humid natural climate, that is, the tropics. The greatest diversity of species lives in forests South America(40 thousand), in Southern and South-East Asia(more than 10 thousand), where there are ideal conditions in terms of quantity sunny days, high humidity and the possibility of camouflage among dense foliage.

Appearance of butterflies, where they live and what they eat

Among invertebrates, butterflies have the most complex body structure and the most beautiful appearance. The insect's body consists of an abdomen, chest, head with antennae and proboscis, 3 pairs of legs and two pairs of beautiful wings, which contain all the beauty of nature, various patterns and colors.

The butterfly has a total of 4 wings, each of which is covered with scales ranging from 100 thousand to 1 million for larger ones tropical species. They are: pigment (containing a bright coloring matter) and optical (reflecting and refracting light).

Butterflies feed exclusively on liquids that they can drink through their proboscis: flower nectar, tree sap, pollen, dung and rotting fruit. They can suck moisture from puddles or from leaves, and sometimes sit on a person in search of a drink, attracted by the smell of sweat, which contains salts and minerals necessary for their life.

Life expectancy also depends on where the butterfly lives, its type and size: smaller ones can live only a few days, and large insects living in the tropics can live up to several months. Representatives of middle latitudes live on average 3-4 weeks, and representatives of northern latitudes live up to 2 years.

Life cycle

The life cycle of lepidoptera begins with the laying of eggs by adult insects directly on the leaves or branches of plants, where the butterfly (or rather its egg) lives in the first stage of its development, which lasts 8-15 days. The color, number and shape of eggs depend on the species; there can be up to 1 thousand eggs in total, most of which do not survive to adulthood. Species of butterflies living in temperate climate, usually lay eggs in late autumn or early winter, and they remain dormant until spring.

The next stage, caterpillars, also takes place on the plants on which they feed. According to their lifestyle, they are divided into those who openly crawl over leaves and branches in search of food, and those that hide under special covers made independently using silky threads and parts of leaves. Some caterpillars are bright in color, demonstrating their inedibility, while others disguise themselves as green parts of plants.

Duration life cycle depends on the temperature and climate where butterflies live in nature: in northern species, caterpillars can fall into hibernation(diapause) until next spring, and their development cycle can last up to 7-10 years.

The most stationary stage - the pupa - looks like a cylinder light color, as it matures, the color changes to that which is typical this species. Pupae can either attach to leaves or lie on the ground without feeding for a long time.

An adult butterfly (imago) crawls out of the pupa, pushing off the shell with its paws, and males are born earlier than females. After emerging from the shell, its wings gradually straighten and harden, and a characteristic coloring also appears.

Where do butterflies spend the winter?

Most butterfly species live only through the summer, laying eggs for the next generation to emerge, and then the insects die. But among them there are also long-livers.

Where do butterflies live in winter and how do they hide from the cold? The answer depends on the species of Lepidoptera. Thus, some butterflies living in Russia (urticaria, lemongrass, burdock) hibernate for the winter, climbing into crevices or hollows of trees and wrapping themselves in their wings. Many climb closer to warm human habitation and fall asleep there.

But there are also migrant butterflies, which, like birds, gather in flocks numbering up to 1 million individuals and fly to warm temperatures in the fall. southern countries, sometimes located 1000 km from their homeland. Scientists have been struggling with the mystery of how these creatures find their way for decades. After all, having a more primitive nervous system, they are not able to navigate by the sun.

The origin of the word “butterfly” in Orthodox countries comes from the words “old woman” or “grandmother”, because Since ancient times, people have represented these insects as the souls of dead people. This belief still exists to this day in villages and villages in the Russian outback.

The most big butterfly- the South American tropical cutworm or tizania Agrippina, its wingspan is 28 cm, in Russia - the Maak's swallowtail (up to 13.5 cm). The smallest is the baby moth, living on Canary Islands, its dimensions barely reach 2-4 mm.

A butterfly, flying from flower to flower, can cover up to 10 km in 1 hour, thus moving to the place where it will lay eggs.

One of the most amazing butterflies— Greta amazes with her transparent wings, through which the entire surrounding world is visible.

The most beautiful insects

These amazing creatures, no matter where the butterflies live - in tropical forests or in the clearing in temperate latitudes, in the mountains or in the hot African desert, constantly fly between plants and flowers, collecting nectar and delighting people with their original beauty.