Yellow and white butterfly. Butterflies of the world

Sailboats or cavaliers - a family that brings together the largest and beautiful butterflies. The greatest variety of species is found in the tropics, but interesting and colorful insects can be seen on other continents. The family includes 700 species of sailboats, 20 live in Russia. The swallowtail butterfly is a typical representative of the genus Papilio with long tails and wavy wings. The color of the insect is yellow with a black pattern and a red-blue eye. Despite the fact that the butterfly is found throughout the Palaearctic, its number has declined sharply. To protect Lepidoptera from complete destruction, the species was listed in the Red Book.

Morphological description

Swallowtail (Papiliomachaon) is one of the most common representatives of its family. Carl Linnaeus named the species after the mythical Greek physician Machaon, who participated in the campaign against Troy. The size of the wings of the male is 65-80 mm, females - 75-95 mm. The main background of the wings is yellow. In the middle of the forewing there is a pattern of black stripes and spots, the base is darkened. A wide black border with yellow hemispheres runs along the edge. The main part of the hind wings is yellow; a blue band with a black border runs closer to the edge. The outer edge has a red eye with a black outline. The photo shows that the edge of the hind wings of the swallowtail butterfly is wavy, the tails reach a length of 10 mm.

Butterfly swallowtail

Information. Papiliomachaon of the first generation are light in color, representatives of the second generation are noticeably larger, their colors are richer and brighter.

The body of the moth is light, covered with sandy hairs. Longitudinal black stripes on chest and abdomen. The head is round, inactive. On the sides are compound compound eyes. The organ of vision helps insects navigate in space, distinguish objects and some colors. In the frontal part there are long jointed antennae ending in a club. The oral apparatus of the sucking type. This is a long black proboscis that allows you to drink nectar from flowers. At rest, it is twisted into a spiral.

Distribution area

The species lives throughout the Palaearctic. Found in all European countries except Ireland. Butterflies settled in the temperate zone of Asia, in northern Africa, in North America. The habitat boundary runs from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains.

Subspecies

The wide range of distribution of swallowtails has led to the formation of various subspecies that differ in color and size.

• P.m. bairdii is a black swallowtail butterfly native to North America. The dark form is similar to the polyxene sailboat. The main color is black. On the front wings, a pattern of yellow strokes and spots located on a black border. On the hind wings, in addition to yellow and blue spots near the tails, there is an orange eye.
• P.m. ussuriensis - lives in Primorye and the Amur region, the group is characterized large sizes insects. In females, the wingspan is 95 mm, in males - 85 mm. Insects are distinguished by the saturation of black and blue in color.
• P.m. hippocrates - a subspecies settled in Japan and nearby islands, in which a blue stripe above a red eye is enclosed between two black ones.
• P.m. kamtschadalus are unique bright yellow butterflies with a faded black pattern and shortened tails. An endemic subspecies lives on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• P.m. gorganus, a continental subspecies, is widely distributed on the plains of Russia, in the foothills of the Caucasus and Central Europe. What does the swallowtail butterfly look like, found in most European countries? The wingspan does not exceed 60-70 mm, their tails are 6-7 mm long. The background of the wings is light yellow with a distinct black pattern and blue spots.

Appearance of the caterpillar

In May, caterpillars of the first generation swallowtail butterfly appear. From the eggs they come out black with many orange warts and a white patch on the back. After several molts, the caterpillar becomes bright green with narrow black transverse stripes and orange spots on each body segment. The larva has three pairs of true legs on the thoracic segment and five pairs of prolegs on the abdomen.

The larva has a defense mechanism against enemies. This is the fork-shaped gland of osmetria. It is located in the prothoracic segment, looks like orange horns. The discharge and smell of osmetria repel ants, wasps and flies. The larvae use it at an early age. For more large predators- Birds it does not work. The caterpillars are hunted by tits, reed buntings, nightingales. They destroy 40-50% of offspring.

related species

The sailboat Maaka or blue swallowtail butterfly also belongs to the genus Papilio. The insect is named after R.K. Maak, an explorer of Siberia and Far East. The wingspan of the largest butterfly in Russia is 125-135 mm. Coloration of the front wings of males with a green tint and black stripes. The hindwings are dark blue with blue spots. In females, the color is brown or black, on the hind wings there is a pattern of red spots at the outer edge.

The tail-bearer Maaka lives in Primorye, Transbaikalia, Sakhalin, Korea, Japan and China. The insect settles in broad-leaved and mixed forests. Caterpillars feed on trees from the rue family - Amur velvet, Sakhalin velvet. The blue swallowtail is listed in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region.

Habitat and lifestyle

In describing the lifestyle of the swallowtail butterfly, two points play a significant role: nutrition and reproduction. In the short time allotted to adults, they must gain strength for mating and continue the race. Favorite habitats: steppes with herbs, well-heated forest glades and edges, roadsides and river banks. In the northern regions it is found in the tundra. Individuals fly into cities. In the mountainous regions of the Alps, they fly to a height of 2000 m. Imagoes are prone to migration, in search of comfortable living conditions and fodder plants, they fly considerable distances.

Butterfly years in a temperate climate from May to August, in the south - from March to November. The bulk of insects gives two generations, in the north one, in North Africa - three.

reproduction

The fertilized female lays single eggs on forage plants. In the middle lane, these are umbrella plants: dill, parsley, angelica, mustard plaster, celery and cumin. In other regions, rue, birch, composite plants. Laying is carried out on the lower part of the leaf or stem, while the butterfly hangs in the air. The fertility of the female is 100-120 eggs. They are initially green, then turn yellow-brown.

A week later, a caterpillar 3 mm long appears. AT warm weather She eats a lot and grows fast. Prefers to eat ovaries and flowers, rarely leaves. The caterpillar goes through 5 instars. The adult larva grows up to 50 mm. The period of development depends on weather conditions, in favorable circumstances is 15-18 days. Before pupation, the caterpillar stops feeding and looks for a suitable place.

For pupation, a host plant stem or a nearby shrub is selected. The insect is attached to the twig with a silky belt. Summer pupae of the first generation are green. After 2-3 weeks, an imago appears from them. Wintering pupae are brown; this stage is delayed for the entire period of cold weather.

Food

Sailboats fly actively in warm sunny weather. Imago is necessary extra food on flowers and replenishment of trace elements. Swallowtail males often gather in groups of 10-15 individuals on the wet shores of water bodies, sit on excrement and manure. What does the swallowtail butterfly eat? The main feeding occurs on the flowers of herbaceous plants:

• carrot;
• snakehead;
• oregano;
• honeysuckle;
• rose hip;
• geranium.

Having fulfilled the inherent function of reproduction, the insect dies. How long does a swallowtail butterfly live? The life span of adults is 3 weeks.

Limiting factors and protection

The number of swallowtail butterflies in Russia ranges from low to normal in different regions. The species is under threat in several areas: Smolensk, Moscow, Vologda. In these regions, as well as on Sakhalin, the swallowtail butterfly is listed in the Red Book. Negative factors affecting the number of butterflies are natural and economic. natural problems:

Anthropogenic factors:

• Forest fires and fallen grass.
• Insecticide treatment of agricultural fields.
• Destruction of caterpillars and capture of butterflies for collection.

A decrease in the number of Papiliomachaon is observed not only in Russia, but in European countries. The species is under state protection in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany. As a protective measure, it is forbidden to collect butterflies and caterpillars. In their habitats, the use of chemicals and grazing are regulated.

Butterfly swallowtail: interesting facts

• In 2006, at the initiative of the German Nature Conservation Union, the swallowtail became a symbol of the country. In this way, people's attention is drawn to the fate of endangered species.
• Tails and eyes on the tips of the wings serve to divert the attention of birds from the vital organs of the insect.
• If you disturb the butterfly, it begins to flap its wings sharply, trying to scare away the enemy with a flash of bright colors.
• The moth can be found in the mountains of Tibet at an altitude of up to 4500 km.
• At the end of summer bright colors on the scales burn out, the pattern on the wings becomes faded and unclear.
• The color intensity of the wings depends on climatic conditions. In subspecies living in the northern regions, the main color is sandy, almost white. In insects in the south, the palette changes to a bright yellow hue.

Moth butterfly is a pest of fruit trees, there are many of its species. The most common of the moths: winter, pine, gooseberry, bird cherry, greenish, moth - skinned, etc.

What does a butterfly look like

The butterfly has a refined body, it does not have eyes, the proboscis is of a spiral shape, poorly developed. Males have feathery antennae, while females have thin, bristle-like ones. The limbs are thin. The wings are wide, triangular, their wingspan is from 30 mm to 50 mm. The coloration is often inconspicuous, in most cases in harmony with the habitat, to provide camouflage.

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

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What does a moth caterpillar look like

Caterpillar about 65 mm long, body without any hairs, has three pairs of thoracic legs and two pairs of abdominal ones. More common on fruit trees. Caterpillars feed quite diversely: tree buds, foliage, buds and flowers of ornamental plants.

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

For disguise, he uses "mimicry", that is, he can take a pose that exactly copies a knot, stalk or part of a leaf.

Moths are pests that, when massed, can cause huge losses to trees in the garden and forests.

How they winter

Moths hibernate depending on the species:

• Winter, greenish, bird cherry, skinned - in the form of egg larvae on the bark of the shoots of the plant (the base of the buds);
• Flower, silkworm - brown striped, fruit - pupae on the surface of the soil;

Those species that spend the winter in the egg stage, caterpillars appear in early spring. After fruit trees faded, pupates in the upper layer of soil. Butterflies emerge from the pupae in September-October.

In species wintering in pupae, butterflies fly out in the month of May, after which they lay eggs. The emerging caterpillars feed on leaves throughout the entire warm period, after which they leave for wintering in September-October.

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Instruction

Urticaria is one of the most common butterflies in central Russia. They can be found everywhere: in city squares, parks, forests and fields. They got their name in honor of the nettle, because they appear wherever this plant can be found. They appear in early spring and remain until the end of summer. Wintering urticaria can sometimes be found in well-heated rooms.

The wings of the urticaria have a brick-brown color with yellowish intervals. On a bright background there are relatively large black spots, the bases of the wings are also black. The basal parts of the wings are dark brown. On the outer edges of the wings there are teeth and crescent-shaped protrusions, decorated with blue spots. The wingspan of hive butterflies is 40-50 mm. In the people of these butterflies are sometimes called chocolate. Curiously, hives are able to distinguish red.

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

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

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

Butterfly Admiral (lat. Vanessa atalanta) is one of the most beautiful diurnal butterflies from the Nymphalidae family. Along with polyflora, urticaria and peacock's eye, it belongs to the category of carboniferous. This insect was discovered by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. He named this species of butterflies Atalanta in honor of the daughter of the mythological hero Schenei, who was famous for his fast run, as well as his extraordinary beauty.

The appearance of the butterfly admiral

Butterfly Admiral is a fairly large insect. The length of its wing reaches 3.5 cm, and in the span - up to 6 cm.

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

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

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

Butterfly admiral: general information

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

After arrival, female individuals lay 1 egg each on plant leaves, which are later eaten by future offspring.

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

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

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

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

Many have seen this butterfly: a large and beautiful diurnal insect is often found in the middle lane. The name "mourning woman" was given to the butterfly for the dark color of its wings, and in other languages ​​it is called with similar words.

Instruction

Butterfly mourning has coffee, almost black wings, soft, velvety, extraordinarily beautiful. Approaching the abdomen, the wings are overgrown with thin red hairs, similar to moss.

The mourning house belongs to the Nymphalidae family, all butterflies of this group are characterized by short front legs without claws. The mouth opening has been transformed into a proboscis, which is rolled up until not in use. As soon as the butterfly is about to suck the nectar, it spreads its proboscis. Mourning women feed on flower juice, juice from wounded trees, you can simply lure a butterfly to sweet water poured into a small flat bowl.

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

The mourning butterfly is able to migrate over long distances, as a rule, butterflies make flights in the fall, looking for a place to hibernate. Caterpillars of this type of butterflies feed on the leaves of willow, poplar, birch. Caterpillars were also seen by many - they are black with red spots, the body is pubescent, with long "needles".

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

Instruction

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

Lemongrass males are distinguished by a brighter color, which is typical for most insects. Their back has a blackish-gray tint, and their chest and abdomen are covered with a lot of white hairs, which makes them look fluffy. The wings are distinguished by a beautiful lemon color, which gave the name to this species of butterflies. In the middle of each wing of lemongrass, you can see a reddish-orange speck.

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

Butterfly wintering forms

Many butterflies spend the winter in the egg stage. Quite small, it fits in the most secluded places. Some of the lepidoptera, such as the crimson silkworm, spend the winter as an adult caterpillar, but this is considered an exception to the rule, since most caterpillars hibernate in early age fresh out of the egg.

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

The most common way is wintering in the pupal stage. Some of the pupae spend the winter in the open, not afraid of cold winds, entrenched on a tree branch.

That part of the pupae, which is disturbed by the effects of winter temperatures, even caterpillars choose places inaccessible to rains and winds, and already there they turn into pupae and hibernate.

Butterfly wintering grounds

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

It often happens that owners of private houses in winter find butterflies huddled in their hearth, which in such cases wake up in the middle of winter. For example, it hid in a slot near the stove, and after kindling, feeling warm, the butterfly wakes up in the hope of the onset of spring. Unfortunately, having flown out into the street, the insect dies from frost after a while.

migratory butterflies

In nature, there are migratory butterflies, which, like birds, fly away to warmer climes with the onset of autumn, overcoming a huge distance. These flights of winged beauties have long interested scientists, and for many years now they have been studying this phenomenon. Researchers have established the places and routes of migratory butterflies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

These unique creations are the second largest pollinators after bees.

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

The largest night butterfly in the world - This is the peacock-eye Atlas (Attacus Atlas). Its wingspan is over 30 cm and it is often mistaken for a bird.

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

A female butterfly can lay over 1,000 eggs in her short life.

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

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

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

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

by the most amazing fact about these creatures is that butterflies need the warmth of the sun in order to fly.

The most common butterfly in Russia and Siberia is the Peacock eye. Thanks to his original drawing it is difficult to confuse it with any other: top part the wing has a cherry-brown color and a spot in the form of an eye, which is characteristic of this species, but completely black-brown below.

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

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

Butterflies never sleep.

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

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

Butterflies are one of the most common collectibles.

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

It is possible to find only on the territory of Papua New Guinea and thanks to collectors, this species is on the verge of extinction.

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

The Blue Dwarf is considered to be the smallest butterfly in the world, with a wingspan of only 1.4 cm.

AT tropical forests There is a species of butterflies of the New and Old Worlds, the males of which feed on the tears of animals.

At the brazilian butterfly calligo another way to protect. Seeing a bird, it turns over, showing the enemy the wrong side of its wings.

The enemy has no choice but to retreat hastily.

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

Well, the owl is the worst enemy of birds.

Female butterflies generally live longer and longer than male butterflies. Something like people ;-)

Butterflies are great stress relievers. The doctors of Stockholm are convinced of this. The clinics of this city have greenhouses with butterflies and flowers, where patients successfully undergo treatment for stress.

Butterflies are nearsighted!

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

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

The pattern on the wings of a butterfly is unique, just like human fingerprints.

Only the Dead Head hawk moth (Acherontia atropos) has a special “speech” organ located in the pharynx. This butterfly, with anxiety or a sense of danger, can squeak.

Butterflies weigh about as much as two rose petals.

Butterfly migration

Among African butterflies, Catopsilia florella makes the longest migrations. Every year from December to February, its representatives, inhabiting the arid regions of the Sahel, fly south in tens of millions. Destination - Zaire - a few thousand kilometers from the start.

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

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

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

P.S. Interesting fact: During the winter in Southern California, tourists are shown butterfly trees covered in monarch butterflies resting after a long flight from North America. The branches of these trees sag under the weight of a huge number of butterflies! It is impossible to disturb the monarchs - an impressive fine is due for this.

With the onset of heat, garden and garden plots all sorts of pests strike, for cabbage beds, cabbage butterfly larvae become a real disaster, since voracious caterpillars can spoil fresh lettuce leaves in a few minutes and render huge heads and leaves of any plants of the cabbage family unusable.

What does a cabbage butterfly look like?

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

Cabbage butterflies breed quite actively, since the female is able to lay up to 200 eggs at a time. Such rapid reproduction of pests leads to damage to large areas of crops, so the fight against cabbage is a must for all gardeners.

Egg clutch of bright lemon color is deposited on the inside of young leaves. The development of an egg to the state of a larva occurs on average in a week, and under favorable conditions even earlier. Only hatched caterpillars feed on the tissues of young leaves, only slightly damaging their integrity, while adult larvae eat the entire leaf, leaving only thick veins. A month later, the caterpillars turn into pupae, and after a couple of weeks they become adult butterflies.

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

How to deal with cabbage?

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

• First of all, with the onset of spring, a thorough cleaning of the site from stale grasses and leaves is required. Regular weed eradication in the garden will prevent the occurrence of egg clutches, and therefore the spread of caterpillars on your site.
• Secondly, to eliminate cabbage larvae and eggs, birds and other insects can be attracted to the garden, for which several bushes of honey plants or nectar plants are planted around the territory.
• Third, spraying chemical compounds shown only in the leaf stage or head development phase, since in more late period all harmful components will be transferred to cabbage, which is unsafe for the human body.
• Fourth, inaction initial stage development of caterpillars will lead to a rapid increase in the number of insects, so it will become much more difficult to eliminate them.

When choosing modern chemistry as a method of dealing with caterpillar caterpillars, one should give preference to drugs such as Actellik, Karate, Lepidocid, etc. It is imperative to follow the manufacturer's recommendations and dilute the agent in accordance with the area of ​​the cultivated area, since exceeding the permissible indicators of chemical insecticides violates the composition of the grown product and reduces the fertile properties of the soil.

Schisandra scientists call the genus of butterflies, which is part of the family of whites. The closest relatives of these Lepidoptera are cabbage and turnips. In total, researchers in the world were able to detect 16 species of lemongrass.

What does a lemongrass butterfly look like?

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

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

Where does lemongrass live?

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

Lifestyle of lemongrass butterfly: what is its peculiarity?

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

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

Butterfly lemongrass nutrition

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

Reproduction of buckthorn

In these butterflies during the mating season, one can observe intricate dances that males perform in order to attract a partner to themselves.

The laying of eggs in lemongrass occurs one at a time: they are glued by a butterfly to the leaves, as well as the stalks of buckthorn. The lemongrass egg has a yellow or white hue. With the onset of May, and sometimes June, lemongrass caterpillars are born. The body of the caterpillars has a smooth structure, there are no hairs on it. The caterpillar lives in its stage for about one month. Pupation takes place in July. Lemongrass wintering is experienced already in adulthood.

Can lemon trees harm a person or his household?

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

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Butterfly belongs to the class of insects, type arthropods, order Lepidoptera (lat. Lepidoptera).

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

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

In the structure of a butterfly, two main sections are distinguished - a body protected by a hard chitinous shell and wings.

A butterfly is an insect whose body consists of:

• Head, inactively connected to the chest. The head of a butterfly has a rounded shape with a slightly flattened occiput. Round or oval convex eyes of a butterfly in the form of hemispheres, occupying most of the lateral surface of the head, have a complex facet structure. Butterflies have color vision, and moving objects perceive better than stationary ones. Many species have additional simple parietal eyes behind the antennae. The structure of the oral apparatus depends on species affiliation and may be of the sucking or gnawing type.

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

Butterfly structure

The antennae of a butterfly are located on the border of the parietal and frontal parts of the head. They help butterflies to navigate in the environment, perceiving air vibrations and various smells.

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

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

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

Butterfly wings - macro photography

The appearance and coloration of the butterfly's wings serve not only for intraspecific sexual recognition, but also act as a protective camouflage that allows you to blend in with your surroundings. Therefore, colors can be both monochrome and variegated with a complex pattern.

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

Classification and types of butterflies

The numerous detachment of Lepidoptera includes more than 158 thousand representatives. There are several classification systems for butterflies, quite complex and intricate, with changes constantly taking place in them. The most successful is the scheme that divides this detachment into four suborders:

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

Typical representatives are:

• golden small-winged (lat. Micropteryx calthella);
• small-winged marigold (lat. Micropteryx calthella).

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

The most famous butterflies from this suborder:

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

3) Heterobatmia, represented by one family Heterobathmiidae.

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

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

Butterfly swallowtail

• Nymphalidae family, feature which is the absence of thickened veins on wide angular wings with variegated coloration and various patterns. Butterfly wingspan varies from 50 to 130 mm. Representatives of this family are:
  1. Butterfly admiral;
  2. Butterfly diurnal peacock eye;
  3. Butterfly urticaria;
  4. Butterfly mourning, etc.

Butterfly Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Butterfly diurnal peacock eye

Butterfly urticaria (Aglais urticae)

Butterfly mourner

• , represented by night butterflies with narrow wings, the span of which does not exceed 13 cm and is distinguished by a characteristic pattern. The abdomen of these insects is thickened and spindle-shaped. The most famous butterflies of this family:
  1. Hawk hawk "dead head";
  2. Oleander hawk;
  3. Poplar hawk.

• Owl family, which includes more than 35,000 species of night butterflies. The span of gray with a metallic shade of fluffy wings averages 35 mm. However, in South America there is a species of butterflies tizania agrippina with a wingspan of 31 cm or atlas peacock-eye, the size of which resembles a medium-sized bird.

Where do butterflies live in nature?

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

What do butterflies eat?

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

Some Nymphalidae butterflies need various trace elements and additional moisture. Their source is excrement, urine and sweat of large animals, wet clay, and human sweat.

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

Also among the butterflies there are "vampires". For example, males of some species of cutworms maintain their strength thanks to the blood and tear fluid of animals. Such is the vampire butterfly (lat. Calyptra).

This year, in the very heat, at the very height of summer, an incredible number of butterflies that are usually not very common, and even some time ago were in the red book, appeared. Velvety dark to black, with a bright orange-red wing stripe and white spots, they circle with the same large peacock eye over meadow flowers. It is thanks to this red stripe, reminiscent of stripes, that the butterfly was named admiral(lat. Vanessa atalanta). They flutter over meadow flowers, sit down to drink nectar, but with pleasure they will taste the bursting fruit or the juice flowing from the wounds of the trees. When a butterfly sits on a flower with wings spread, it stands out as a bright spot on the green carpet of grass. But as soon as she folds her wings while sitting on a tree, thanks to the gray pattern, she completely merges with the bark. The Latin specific epithet of the butterfly Atalanta is taken from Greek mythology, where Atalanta, the heroine of the hunt for the Calydonian boar, ran faster than all people on Earth. And indeed, butterfly admiral in many parts of its range it makes huge, many thousands of kilometers flights, for example, from Europe to North Africa.

Admiral(lat. Vanessa atalanta) is a diurnal butterfly from the Nymphalidae family. The wingspan reaches 5 - 6.5 cm. The color of the wings is dark brown, sometimes almost black, with bright red stripes and white spots at the top of the front wings. Widespread numerous species, whose range covers extratropical Eurasia, North Africa, the islands of the Atlantic Ocean, North America, Guatemala, Haiti and New Zealand. Caterpillars feed mainly on nettles and thistles. The species is an active migrant.

The specific epithet Atalanta (Greek mythology) goes back to Atalanta, the heroine of the hunt for the Calydonian boar, who ran faster than all people on Earth. Daughter of the king of Arcadia, Iasias (Ias) and Klymene. Her father, wishing to have only sons, threw the girl away on Mount Parthenius, and she was raised by a bear until Atalanta was picked up in the forest by hunters. Regarding the origin of the generic name Vanessa, there are several versions. According to one of them, it came from the eponymous female name. According to another version, the name is consonant with the ancient Greek version of the word "Phanessa", which means the demiurge deity. This version is most likely unlikely. In fact, the name of the deity in the original sounds like "Phanes" (Russian version of Phanet). The name of the genus was given by the Danish entomologist Johann Christian Fabricius, who mainly used the names of ancient deities when naming new taxa. The English name of the insect Red Admiral (red admiral) accurately characterizes the unique coloring of the butterfly.

The length of the front wing is 26 - 34.5 mm. The wingspan reaches 50 - 65 mm. The body is dark brown or black. The upper side of the wings is blackish or dark brown. At the top of the front wing, a small tooth stands out along the outer edge. The front wings are crossed by a bright orange-red band, above which a large elongated white spot and a chain of five to six bright white spots of various sizes stand out. In the anal corner of the hindwing there is an elongated blue spot in a black rim. On the outer edge of the hind wings there is a wide orange-red marginal band, on which 4-5 black spots are located. In the posterior corner of the hind wing there is a double blue spot in a dark rim in the anal corner of the wing.

The underside of the wings is less bright, but more variegated. It is brownish-brown, with a variety of reddish and white spots and gray stains. From below on the forewings, the pattern of the upper side is repeated, which is complemented by blue rings in the central cell. The undersides of the hindwings are brownish, with an intricate marble-like pattern formed by dark strokes and sinuous lines. There is also a light spot at the anterior edge of the hind wing.

Antennae with sharply widened club. The eyes are covered with numerous small bristles. The outer margin of both wings is wavy, with one more prominent projection on the M1 vein on the forewings. The discal vein is present on both wings. The central cell on the hind wings is closed. Outer margin of hindwings without prominent protrusions. The tibiae and tarsi of the forelegs are covered with relatively long dense hairs.

This butterfly is not only pretty, she is a big travel lover. Representatives of this species of insects make huge flights from Europe to North Africa in order to lay eggs here and die in the name of the appearance of new offspring. In the spring, already young butterflies set off on their way back, despite the fact that many of them are destined to die on the way. However, butterflies living in the southern part of Europe are in no hurry to leave their native places, but wait out the winter in the crevices of trees or under the bark. The spring sun makes the butterfly leave its shelter and start preparing for a romantic meeting in order to have time to acquire offspring.

How long does an admiral butterfly live? In favorable conditions, it is a long-liver - the insect lives 9-10 months. For part of the allotted time, she is in hibernation, it is the presence of diapause that explains her continued existence. A fertilized female hibernates, so that the next year after waking up, she immediately lays her eggs. In the North and in the Center of Europe, admirals do not stay during the cold period. They go on a seasonal migration to the south. It is less noticeable than in summer, when a large number of adults settle in gardens and parks rich in food.

Migrants that appeared in the summer give offspring on local plants. Young butterflies fly in July-August. They are not shy; if handled carefully, they can sit on clothes or hands. It is easy to distinguish between arrived and local admirals by the condition of the wings - among travelers they are shabby and faded. For the wintering period, moths are looking for a reliable shelter where you can hide not only from the cold, but also from enemies. Females hide under the bark of trees, fallen leaves, clog into cracks. While sleeping, they run the risk of being eaten by birds or rodents.

The general warming of the climate and mild winters have led to a change in the behavior of the admiral butterfly. Not all individuals go to wait out the cold season in hot Africa. Part stays in temperate latitudes. This decision is fully justified, because many insects die while covering distances of thousands of kilometers.

An adult butterfly admiral feeds on nectar, tree sap, fruits and berries. Like all its relatives, this butterfly goes through several stages of its development. Therefore, the nutrition of a caterpillar hatched from an egg differs significantly from that of a formed individual. The caterpillar wraps a leaf of hops or nettle around its body, defending itself and at the same time using these leaves as food. A satiated caterpillar gradually turns into a chrysalis, from which, after a certain period, an adult beauty butterfly flies out.

The fodder plants of the admiral's caterpillars include: Carduus sp. - plants from the genus Thistle, Humulus lupulus - Common hop, Urtica dioica - Dioecious nettle, Urtica urens - Stinging nettle.

The female butterfly lays one egg on host plants. The mating season of the insect falls in the spring. From May to August, a caterpillar develops, the color is noticeable, yellow stripes on the sides, various inclusions and spikes. They curl up into a tube on the leaves of nettle, thistle, turning into a chrysalis. The caterpillar makes a protective canopy of leaves, which it then feeds on. The butterfly emerges from the pupae by the end of summer. Two generations of butterflies are usually hatched per year.

Admirals are characterized by courtship and mating games. During the breeding season, males exhibit territorial behavior. They occupy good areas where the forage plant grows and drive away competitors. Each has a territory of 10 by 20 m. Moths patrol their own area, flying around the perimeter. Admirals often circle over the hills to spot and intercept a passing female. The male flies for a long time for a partner, seeking her favor. Mating takes several hours. During this period, insects do not respond to external factors and are in a vulnerable position. Territorial males, aggressively chasing rivals of their own species and other butterflies from their territory, demonstrate peaceful behavior while feeding on flowers or fruits.

The species is subject to dynamic fluctuations in abundance and in some years is observed in very large numbers. Is an active migrant. Populations in the forest belt of Eurasia partially, and in the north of the range entirely, are replenished with migratory individuals from the south. The species is included in the Red Book of the Smolensk Region, previously it was included in the Red Book of Russia (1997) (category 4). On the this moment the species is excluded from the Red Book of Russia.