Currently, the insect class is the most numerous in the number of species. In addition, this is the most prosperous group of animals on Earth in the latitude of spatial distribution and environmental differentiation. Insects possess a number of common signs in the inner structure, but their appearance, development, lifestyle and other parameters vary greatly.

The subdivision of the insect class on large systematic categories - subclasses, infrackoms, detachments, are the most important features as the structure of the wings, the oral apparatus, the type of emptilic development. Other diagnostic signs are also used.

Different authors give various systematics to the class, but the number of detachments regardless of the source is quite impressive. The most famous detachment of dragonflies (Odonata), Tarakanova (Blattodea), Termites (Isoptera), straight-flowered (Orthoptera), Mamiptera, HEMIPTERA, HEMIPTERA (COLEOPTERA), COLECTERA (HYMENOPTERA), DOPPERED (Diptera) and , of course, the lepidoptera.

general characteristics Czesheuchnye

Butterflies are one of the most beautiful insects, Lepidoptera detachment includes more than 140 (according to some data 150) thousands of species. Nevertheless, among other insects, this is a rather "young" group, the greatest development of which coincides with the flowering of flowering plants in the chalk period. The life expectancy of Imago lasts from several hours, day, up to several months. The difference in sizes in the scales is stronger than in any other detachment. The scope of their wings varies from 30 cm in the South American scoop to the half-cavymeter in Eriocragia. The greatest spread of the butterfly was obtained in tropical latitudes. And in South America, the Far East, Australia lives the largest, brightly colored and, it would seem interesting butterflies.

So the record holders in the brightest color are representatives of the South American genus Morho and Australian Sailboat Ulysses. Large (up to 15 - 18 cm), glittering by blue metal Morpho, perhaps, are a dream of any collector. And in terms of flights, the monarch butterfly, living in North and Central America and the flights from Canada and the Northern District to the south annually, are best studied.

The structure of an adult insect

An adult insect, or otherwise imago, has the following structure. The body of the butterfly consists of three main departments: heads, chest and abdomen. Head segments are merged into a common mass, while chest segments and the abdomen are more or less well distinguishable. The head consists of acrona and 4 segments, the chest of 3, the abdominal in its full composition contains 11 segments and Telson. The head and chest are limb, the belly sometimes retains only their rudiment.

Head. Head is a low-live, free, rounded form. Here there are highly developed convex facets, which occupy a significant part of the surface of the head, usually round or oval, surrounded by hairs. In addition to the facetful complex eyes, sometimes there are two simple eyes on the tremkey behind the mustaches. Studying the ability of butterflies to the color vision showed that sensitivity to visible parts of the spectrum they do not depends on the lifestyle. Most perceives rays in the range of 6500 350 A. especially actively butterflies react to ultraviolet rays. Butterflies are hardly the only animals that perceive red. However, due to the lack of purely red colors in the Middle Eastern Flora, the red is not perceived by the brahniks. Pine silkworm caterpillars, cabbage white and yawa watry distinctly distinguish different parts of the spectrum, reacting to purple rays as white, red perceived as darkness.

Fig.1. Publika's head, or sponge white (lat. Pieris Rapae)

1 - side view with a wrapped trunk: B - Lipboard, in - Ugiss; G-folded trumps; 2 - Front view with wrapped trot: A - Tireless eye, b - lupy papium; In - mustache; R - rolled truths; 3 - side view with a deployed trunk: B - Lippika; In - mustache; G - Deployed Troves

In various groups of butterflies, the mustache, or antennas, are the most diverse shape: filamentous, bristle, concrete, spindlers, pleasure-shaped, filament. The males mustache are usually stronger than the females. Eyes and mustache with spontaneous sensillas located on them are the most important organs of feelings at the butterfly.

Rota machine. The oral apparatus of the scrapure arose by specializing ordinary limbs of arthropods. Absorption and grinding of food. The mouth of the butterflies are an equally characteristic feature than the structure of the wings and the covering of their scales.

In the prevailing majority of cases, they are represented by a soft trunk capable of clumping like a clock spring. The basis of this oral apparatus is highly elongated internal blades of the lower jaws, which form a trunk sash. The upper jaws are absent or represented by small tubercles; The lower lip also underwent the lower reduction, although her peppers are well developed and consist of 3 segments. Butterfly proboscis is very elastic and moved, it is perfectly adapted to nutrition with liquid food, which in most cases does nectar of colors serve. The length of the trunk of one or another form usually corresponds to the depths of the nectar in those colors that are visited by butterflies. In some cases, the flowing juice of trees, liquid excrement of tools and other sugar substances can serve as a source of liquid food of the scraps. Some butterflies that do not eat trumps may be underdeveloped or absent (thin-trees, some moths).

Chest. The chest consists of three segments, called anterior, medium and temper. Breast segments carry three pairs of motor extremities attached between the stern and the side plate of each side. The limbs consist of one row of segments, in which we distinguish from the bottom to the end of the foot: a basin, or a bracket, a wide main segment; Verlvug; thigh, the fattest sealer legs; The shin, usually the longest of segments; A paw, consisting of a different number of very small segments. The last of which ends with one or two curls. There are numerous hairs, or bristles, sometimes in the middle of the back formed a jacket; The abdomen never connects his breasts; In females, it is thicker and supplied with a long eggs; The males instead at the end of the abdomen often can be a joke.

Wings. Characteristic feature Insects as a large systematic group is their ability to fly. Flight is carried out with the help of wings; In most cases, there are two pairs and are located on 2 (average) and 3 (reverdes) of breast segments. Wings are essentially powerful fold walls of the body. Although the fully formed wing has the form of a thin solid plate, it is nevertheless two-layers; The upper and lower layers are separated by the finest slit, which is a continuation of the body cavity. Wings are laid in the form of bag-shaped skin protesters in which the body and trachea cavity continues. The protrusion is flattened to the dorbentral; The hemolymph of them outsuels inside the body, the upper and lower sheets of the plate are brought together, soft fabrics are partially degenerated, and the wing acquires the type of a thin membrane.

Fig.2. Butterfly Greta (Lat. Greta)

The beauty of the butterfly is enclosed in its wings, the variety of their colors. Color gamut Provide scales (hence the name of the detachment of scales). Scales are the amazing inventions of nature, which millions of years faithfully serve butterfly, and now, when people began to study the properties of these amazing structures, can serve us. Scales on wings are modified hairs. They have different shapes. For example, along the edge of the Wing of the Apollo Butterfly (Parnassius Apollo) there are very narrow scales, almost not different from the hairs. Closer to the middle of the wing, the flakes are expanding, but they remain sharp at the ends. And finally, widely close to the base of the wing are wide scales, similar to the hollow bag attached to the wing of a tiny leg. Scales are located in the right rows of the wing across: their ends are turned the dust and cover the bases of the following rows.

Experiments have shown that the scaly of butterflies has a whole near amazing properties, for example, good thermal insulation propertieswhich are maximally manifested at the base of the wing. The presence of scaly covers increases the difference between the temperature of the insect and temperature ambient 1.5 - 2 times. In addition, the wing scales are involved in creating lifting force. After all, if the butterfly hold in the hands and part of her bright scales will remain on the fingers, the insect will be with great difficulty to pepger from place in place.

In addition, it was shown experiments, scales quench sound oscillations and reduce body vibration during a stuffing flight. In addition, during the flight on the wing of the insect, there is a charge of statistical electricity, and scales help this charge "flock" into the external environment. A detailed study of the aerodynamic properties of butterfly scales led to the fact that scientists offered to create a coating for helicopters, developed in the image and likeness of the scaly cover of the wings of butterflies. Such a coating will improve the maneuverable properties of the coils. Moreover, such cover can be useful for parachutes, sails of yachts and even costumes of athletes.

The wonderful coloring of butterflies also depends on their scaly clothing. The blade of the wings themselves are colorless and transparent, and in scales there are pigment grains, which cause a wonderful color. Pigments selectively reflect light with a certain wavelength and absorb the rest. In nature, in general, all colors are formed mainly in this way. However, pigments can reflect only 60-70% of the incoming light, and therefore the colors caused by the presence of pigment are never so bright what could be theoretically. Therefore, species for which is vital is particularly bright color, "looking for" the ability to strengthen it. In many types of butterflies, in addition to conventional pigment scales, there are special scales, which are called optical. They allow insects to become owners of truly sparkling clothes.

In optical scales there are thin-layer interference, the optical effect of which can be observed on the surface of soap bubbles. The lower part of the optical scales is pigmented; The pigment does not miss the light and thereby gives a large brightness of the interference color. Rays of light, passing through transparent flakes on the wing, are reflected both from their external and internal surfaces. As a result, two reflections as it should be superimposed and strengthen each other. Depending on the thickness of the scales and the refractive index, light is reflected from a certain long wave (all other rays are absorbed by the pigment). Butterfly "line up" on the outer surface of their wings thousands of tiny thin layer scales, and each such tiny mirror reflects the light of a certain wavelength. As a result, there is a completely stunning effect of reflection of unusual brightness.

Fig.3. Butterfly Perelovnitsa Yvesov (Apatura Iris)

The recordsmen on the brightest color are the representatives of the South American genus Morho, however, in the middle lane of Russia, butterflies with a miracle color. The best interference color is noticeable at Perelivnitz (APATURA AND LIMENITIS). From afar, these butterflies seem to be almost black, but close to a pronounced metal glitter - from bright blue to violet.

Recently it became known that a similar interference effect can be created using various microstructures with unique optical properties. Moreover, the microstructures on the wings differ not only from representatives of various families with a similar color, but also in close species. Studying the subtleties of these effects, using modern technology, now closely, physics-optics from the University of Exter. At the same time, physics make unexpected finds, which are interesting not only for them, but also for biologists studying evolutionary processes.

Interesting biological significance Bright, motley paintings of the upper side of the wings, so often observed at Bulavoy butterflies, especially in nymphalid. Their basic value is to recognize individuals of its type at a high distance. Observations show that males and females of such pestro painted forms are attracted to each other from abused, and close to the final recognition of the smell, published by Androkonia.

If the upper side of the wings in nifalide is always painted brightly, then another type of color is characteristic of their lower part: they are usually cryptic, i.e. Protective. In this regard, two types of folding wings are interesting, nymphalide are widespread, as well as in other family of day butterflies. In the first case, the butterfly, being in the rest position, put forward the front wings forward so that their lower surface having a protective color is open almost all over. According to this type, wings are folded, for example, in the Ugleglitsa C-white ( Polygonia C-Album). She has the upper side of a brown-yellow with dark spots and outdoor border; The bottom side of the gray-drill with a white letter "C" on the rear wings, for which she got its name. A motionless sitting butterfly is also minor thanks to the wrong angular contour of its wings.

Fig.4. Butterfly Kallima Inachus with folded wings

Other species, such as Admiral and Refencing, hide the front wings between the rear so that only their tips are visible. In this case, two types of colors are expressed on the lower surface of the wings: the part of the front wings, which is in a state of rest is hidden, brightly painted, the rest of the lower surface of the wings is clearly cryptic.

In some cases, day butterflies are brightly colored and the upper and lower sides of the wings. Such color is usually combined with the failure of the body with it, so it received the name of the warning. Based on this feature, the butterflies have the ability to mimicry. Under mimicria, they understand the similarity in the color, form and behavior between two or several types of insects. For the butterflies, mimicry is expressed in the fact that some of the mimicarizing species are incredible, while others are deprived of protective properties and only "imitate" their protected models. Those imitators are whitefphia astynome (Dismorfphia Astynome) and Perchikris (Perrhybris Pyrrha).


Family: Bombycidae \u003d silkworms real
Family: Brahmaeidae \u003d Pavlingolasce Wavy, Bramen
Family: Galleriidae \u003d Wax lights
Family: Tineidae \u003d real moths
View: Tineola Bisselliella Hummel, 1823 \u003d Handling Mole
Family: Heliconidae \u003d Heliconides
View: Heliconia Melpomena \u003d Heliconium
Family: endromididae \u003d birch silkworms, silk
View: endromis versicolora \u003d birch silk
Family: Geometridae \u003d Spiders
View: BUPALUS PINIARIUS \u003d Pine Spine
Family: Hepialidae \u003d Talking
View: Phassus Schamyl \u003d Caucasian Talking
Family: Hesperiidae \u003d Tolstogol
Family: Lasiocampidae \u003d Cockonoppers
Family: Lycaenidae \u003d Glowbird
Family: Lymantriidae \u003d Wrusts
Family: Noctuidae \u003d Scoops, Note
Family: Notodontidae \u003d Crested
Family: Nymphalidae \u003d Nymphalids
Family: Papilionidae \u003d Sailboats, Cavalers
Family: Pieridae \u003d Belyanki
Type of Colias Philodice \u003d Independuous jaundice
View Aporia Crataegi Linnaeus, 1758 \u003d Hawshit
Family: Pyralidae \u003d Fights (real), fires
Family: Riodinidae \u003d Skewers
Family: Satyridae \u003d Vecharticians, Satirids, Eye
Family: Sesiidae \u003d Glass
Family: Sphingidae \u003d brahniki
Family: Syntomidae \u003d Pestry False, False Piece
Family: Thaumetopoeidae \u003d hiking silkworms
Family: thyatiridae \u003d Soviet
Family: ZygaEnidae \u003d Pestry

Brief description of the detachment

Czech (butterflies) is one of the largest insect detachments, numbering about 150 thousand species.They are common worldwide, especially numerous in the tropics. There are more than 15 thousand types of butterflies in the CIS. Film representatives have four wings. The latter are covered with modified hairs - scales, sometimes bright painted and forming characteristic "drawings" on the surface of the wings.
Probably, Detachment of scraped arms In the Mesozoic Era (Jurassic period). Among other insects, butterflies are a relatively "young" group, the greatest development of which coincides with the flowering of flowering plants in the chalk period. However, fossil remnants of butterflies are predominantly from the Baltic amber - are known only from Paleogen. All species found are already to modern families, and often even to existing or very close to them.
Dimensions The bodies vary widely: from the smallest moles (3-8 mm in the wingspid) to the largest daytime butterflies, glalicle and scoop (25-30 cm).
Head is a low-live, free, rounded form. Here there are highly developed convex facets, which occupy a significant part of the surface of the head, usually round or oval, surrounded by hairs. In addition to the facetful complex eyes, sometimes there are two simple eyes on the tremkey behind the mustaches.
In various groups of butterflies, the mustache, or antennas, are the most diverse shape: filamentous, bristle, concrete, spindlers, pleasure-shaped, filament.
The males mustache are usually stronger than the females. Eyes and mustache with spontaneous sensillas located on them are the most important organs of feelings at the butterfly.
Rota apparatus The overwhelming majority of leshes is a characteristic suction trot, adapted to absorb free liquids and sucking the nectar of flowers. At lower forms, for example, in the family of torn moles Micropterygidae., the oral organs of another rodent type, with which the butterflies are powered by pollen plants. Some butterflies are generally reduced by oral organs, so they do not eat in the adult phase.
Most groups of the front wings are larger than the rear and differ from them in shape, it happens on the contrary. The body is covered with scales - highly modified and flattened hairs, diverse in shape. They contain painting pigments affecting the color of the wings. In flight both wings work simultaneously, which is achieved by the adhesion of the front pair with the rear special coupling mechanisms. In the daytime butterflies in a calm state, the wings are composed vertically above their backs, and at night usually lie along the body roofing.
Transformationfull. Lichwood Butterflies are called caterpillars. They have three vapors of breast limbs and usually 5 pairs of abdominal false legs. The mouth of the caterpillars in contrast to the imago rodent type. Caterpiles Most species lead an open lifestyle. Some forms are inhabited in the soil. Finally, a number of species settle in vegetable tissues (leaves, wood, etc.), which they feed, doing the moves in them. Covered dolls.
Many butterfly damage to agriculture and forestry.So, cutting, or earthlings, scoops (for example, Winter Scoop - Agrotis segetumThe caterpillar of which is called "Ozimy Worm") eating underground and root parts of plants, in particular winter bread. Representatives of Beyanok ( capping Belyanka - Pieris Brassicae. et al.) seriously harm garden cultures: Caterpillars eat cabbage, turnips, radishes, etc.
Among butterflies is available many pests of woody rocks.Such, for example, spiders: Winter Pyadenitsa - Operophthera Brumata. (caterpillars eat kidneys and leaves of fruit trees); Pine spine - BUPALUS PINIARIUS.; Cockonoppers: Cocktone Ring - Malacosoma Neustria.Honor deciduous trees; Laptop: Oak Laptop - Tortrix Viridana., strongly damaging oak leaves; Woodings (for example, Yvescarob - Cossus Cossus.), whose large caterpillars are done in forest and fruit trees Deep moves, and many other representatives. Flashing of mass reproduction of harmful species can be stretched for several years.
Tute silkworm ( BOMBYX MORI.) Divided in order to obtain natural silk. The caterpillars of these butterflies have special glands that distinguish between the fibroin protein substance, which solidifies the air, turning into a silk thread. When the caterpillar reaches full growth, it makes a cocoon from the thread, in which it is pumped. Silk yarn is twisted on silk-cool factories from cocoons. Oak silkcuts are also bred ( Antherea Pemyi.), whose cocoons are getting a coarsame yarn, going to the manufacture of grace fabric.
Among the scraped many species whose caterpillars are pests of forests and gardens. So, the caterpillars of the unpaired silkworm ( Lymantria Dispar.), feeding out the leaves of various trees, during the years of mass reproduction can destroy entire arrays of forests and gardens.
Ring silkworm ( Malacosoma Neustria.) puts eggs with a ring around the twigs of the trees (hence its name). Caterpillars in the years of great numbers cause great harm to deciduous trees, embraced foliage.
Pine silkworm ( Dendrolimus Pini.) - one of the main pests of pine, often destroying pine bors on a large area.
Zlatoguk ( Euprctis Chrysorrhoea.) - A small white night butterfly, the end of the abdomen which is covered with golden hairs.
Caterpillars badly damage fruit trees, leaving leaves. They winter in large nests built from leaves connected by silk threads.
Hawarman ( Aporia Crataegi.) - a big day butterfly white color With blacknage veficons wings. Caterpillar keeps on fruit trees. Pest of fruit gardens.
Apple mole ( Hyponomeuta Malinella) - Small white, with black butterfly spots, largest and shape similar to ordinary room moth. Caterpillars live in groups on the leaves of an apple tree under a thin layer of web. Serious pest of apple orchards.
Apple fruit ( Laspeyresia Pomonella) - Small night butterfly, the caterpillar of which lives in the pulp of the fruit of the apple tree. Apples with a "worm" fall early, and their value is sharply reduced.
From butterflies whose caterpillars are harmful to garden crops, we must first of all specify a widespread cabbage whitening ( Pieris Brassicae.), called a clean white painting with several black spots on the wings.
The caterpillar hurts the cabbage and some other garden plants. Caterpillars smaller repove whitefish ( Pieris Rapae.) Harm Rope, Broker, Radish.
Crawler of a number of butterflies also harm also grain crops.
So, caterpilts night Butterfly. winter scoop ( Scotia Segetum) Food mostly shoot bread Zlakov.
Detachment contains about 100,000 species

Description of the butterflies of cabbage for children and schoolchildren is outlined in this article.

Description of the butterfly of cabbage

Cabwick butterfly is the most common of all kinds of butterflies. Very often it can be found in the garden, or rather her black with a yellow caterpillar that lives "herd" on the cabbage leaves. Feeding them and other garden plants, it hurts a lot of sowing.

Kapuetrian flies very quickly, having a large scope of wings at a body size of 32 cm long. The males differ from the females because the first is not on the front wings of black spots (two stains on each wing). Rear wings in both yellow floors.

This type of butterflies is distributed in all of Europe. Very often he leads the "nomadic" life, flying the clusters from one place to another. They are permanent inhabitants of meadows and fields, and especially those places that are close to the fodder sowing cabbage. For the warm period, the wretchedness gives from one to three generations, since it flies from April to October. Butterfly lays out her eggs on the leaves of cabbage or on other plants, which belong to the family of cruciferous. Having raised caterpillars with age change their color - first they are yellow, then blue or green, successfully masking on the cabbage. Such a bright coloring scares predators, serving the signal that they are poisonous. And indeed, the birds do not eat them and get rid of pests only with chemicals. The cold period, it is experiencing in the shape of a pupa.

Scientific description Butterflies

Butterfly - wings span 55-60 mm. Wings milders and white with dark pollination at the edges. HA front feces of females have two black round spots. The male has such stains only from the bottom side of the front wings. Eggs lemon-yellow, vertical, ribbed, 1.25 mm long. The ash caterpillars, with a large dark head, last age - yellow-green with dark brown shields, on which there are hairs and bristles. On the sides of the body there are yellow stripes, on the back - bright. Pupa greenish-yellow, with black dots on his back and side.

Structure and behavior of butterflies

We often meet with butterflies in nature and even at home. Wherever we are - in the forest, garden, in the fields and meadows, they attract our attention from early spring to deep autumn. And who did not see the pray at home? This is also a butterfly. Butterflies are known about 150,000 species. They are combined into the detachment of butterflies, or scraped; They are not difficult to distinguish from other insects, for example from flies.

What general signs are characteristic of the entire detachment of butterflies? First of all it the presence of scales On their wings (hence the name of their squad). Scales are also available on all their body. Scales are modified hairs. They often differently painted. Of these, bizarre and complex drawings are on the wings of butterflies.

Other general feature The butterflies are successful rotter, that is, non-grip, alone spirally curled, long tubular proboscis. Lower jaws and lower lip take part in his education. The upper jaws of butterflies are missing. During meals, the butterfly plays a long trot, immersing it into the deep flower, and sucks nectar. As the main source of food, adult scrapers are used nectar, therefore, they are among the main pollinators of flowering plants.

Many adult butterflies are active during the day, and at night rest. These are daytime butterflies, such as lemongrass, cabbage, traurnitsy. Another large group of butterflies flies at twilight and at night. These are night butterflies, such as moths.

Butterfly larvae, referred to caterpillars, have an elongated sealer body. Rota apparatus they have, unlike adults, ricking. The caterpillars in the mouth there are silky glands that allocate the secret frozen in the air into the silk threads. There are three pairs of segregate legs on their chest, but the larvae do not use them not for crawling, but for the seizure of food during food. For the movement of the caterpillars use non-grindish fleshy abdominal false legs, unlike adults of adult insects and armed with small hooks armed on the soles. The overwhelming majority of the caterpillars feed on plant food, but they are very diverse in a lifestyle. There are caterpillars open-to-living, leaflers, spinners, frozhors and others. Much among them and those who bring tangible damage to the national economy. Take, for example, cabbage whitening, or cabbage.

Kapuette, as its name shows, is associated with cabbage and other cruciferous plants. Her caterpillars feeding the cabbage leaves, damage them. This butterfly is called whitening because of the torment-white color of the upper side of the wings. Front pair of cabbage wings with dark corners on the upper side. The female on wings there are still two dark spots, the male has no such stains.

Figure: Cabbage Belyanka or Kapuette

In the spring and summer, the cabover flies in the gardens and fields. When the butterfly sits on the cabbage or another plant, it folds the wings behind the back and becomes invisible: the bottom side of the wings of the cabbage greenish-yellow, giving a butterfly similarity with a sheet.

Kapuette lays eggs on cabbage leaves and other cultural plants and weeds from the family of cruciferous. Caterpillar go out of eggs. They have a bright color: young - yellow, and as they grow, they become bluish-green, with yellow and black rows of points. First, the caterpillars are sitting and feed on the bottom side of the leaves, then move on their upper side, where they are kept boring. Their painting is bright, warning that they are poisonous. Having tried once, the birds no longer touch them.

Grown caterpillar overlooks the tree, fence or wall. Here it drops the skin and turns into a doll. The butterfly came out of the pupa has crumpled soft wings. She sits on one place in one place while her wings will disappear and fixed.

Variety butterflies

Figure: Butterfly varieties

1 - ordinary Mahaon; 2 - dawn; 3 - Traynitsa; 4 - peat jaundice; 5 - Forest Golubanka, female; 6 - Forest Golubanka, male; 7 - Mahar Maiac; In - admiral; 9 - day peacock eyes; 10 - big pearlization; 11 - urticaria; 12 - flower satire; 13 - Wine Bringer; 14 Delicate Night Peacock Eye; 15 - Krošinitsa, male; 16 - Krošinitsa, female; 17- Medleppon Kaya; 18 - Popolian Order.

According to the classification of zoologists of butterflies - invertebrates, they relate to the type of arthropod and insect class. Among the insects, they form one of the largest detachments - a detachment of scraper. Butterflies are easy to learn on very large wings, covered with a thickener with a slice, laid like a roof on the roof of the building. Butterflies are one of the most delightful belly, who are pleased with their silent flight and the beauty of the wings. It is not by chance that a person has been ravy-sore for many millennia.

Wonderful transformations.

Each butterfly in its development passes the stage of eggs, larvae, dolls and an adult insect. All these stages make it life cycle. It can last from different butterflies from a few weeks to several years. First, the adult butterfly lays eggs and thereby gives rise to a new life. Eggs can be of different shapes - round, oval, even similar to a bottle, placed one or groups. Caterpillars appear from eggs - these are larvae of butterflies. Caterpillars usually have well-developed jaws and very voracious.

I have almost everything edible to be food, which is found in nature: leaves, wood, roots, fruits and plant seeds. There are predatory caterpillars who eat insects, such as a sedentary tool. The larva eats a lot and significantly adds in weight, sometimes even thousands of times. In addition, the caterpillar very often lines - changes his outer shell. Some butterflies do it up to 40 times. Having finished the development, the butterfly larva is covered with a solid shell and turns into a doll. Pupae do not eat and do not move. At this time, there is a very important and even mysterious process in their body: some cells destroy almost all the organs and fabrics of the caterpillar, while others create an adult butterfly organs. When this process is completed, the doll begins to make small fluid movements. The shell breaks through, and an adult butterfly appears to the light, striking his incompleteness with a voracious caterpillar.

What is the life of the butterfly.

When the butterfly appears from the pupa, it spreads the wings and goes to the flight. Scientists say that the time of flight comes.

The main thing for the butterfly is resettlement and reproduction. The first is easy to do thanks to the excellent lifting abilities of most species. Help butterflies and air flows that carry them not only from one meadow to another, but even through the oceans. So the ranges are expanding - the part of the earth's surface, where you can meet butterflies of this species. Reproduction is a more difficult task, because males and females need to meet each other. Sometimes for this they have to overcome huge distances.

A variety of butterflies in nature.

Large day peacock Eye (Inachis IO) is one of the most popular butterflies in Europe from the Nymphalid family (Nymphalidae). It flies in Central Europe from March to October, giving from two to three generations. It is comfortable for wintering in the caves, various nonoras and buildings. The caterpillar lives on nettle and on Khmele.

There are more than 100,000 types of butterflies in the world. They are almost three times more than all modern vertebrates - fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Such an abundance leads to an extreme diversity of butterflies. For them, you can even create a separate book of records. Saughty small butterflies - moths - have a scope of the wings of only 3 mm, they are 100 times less than the largest butterfly - scoop-Agrippa. But butterflies are not only different sizes, but even different mustache. And the wings are striking the kaleidoscope of patterns, colors and lines. Each view has its own special, characteristic of the drawing of the wing. Moreover, not only the upper part of it, but also the bottom, which is called the yard. And even in the butterflies of one species, the drawing and painting of the wing can be different, and the species disintegrates into several subspecies. The external diversity corresponds to the different lifestyle of these wonderful insects. Some do not eat in an adult condition, others drink nectar, others consider decaying substances inherent. Some have long flights, many saddles, and some butterflies can not fly scientists at all until now they have not come to a single classification of butterflies.