Order Lepidoptera (butterflies)

ORDER LEPIDOPTERS (BUTTERFLIES) one of the largest orders of insects, represented in the world fauna by more than 140 thousand species. Insects with complete metamorphosis. Adults are characterized by the presence of two pairs of scaled wings, the pigmentation and structure of which create a rich variety of patterns. The body is covered with scales or hairs. The oral apparatus sucking in the form of a spirally coiled proboscis (sometimes the proboscis is reduced: adult butterflies do not feed), only the primary moths have a gnawing oral apparatus. The prothorax is poorly developed, has movable lamellar outgrowths - patagia, the middle chest is equipped at the base of the wings with movable lamellar outgrowths - those hums. Females in most cases have two genital openings: copulatory and ovipositor. The abdomen consists of 9-10 segments. Eggs of various shapes and structures, rich in yolk. Lepidoptera larvae are called caterpillars; they have, in addition to the chest legs, another 2-5 pairs of abdominal ones, equipped with hooks on the soles. The pupae are usually covered type, often in cocoons. Adult insects feed on plant nectar and other kinds of secretions (leaking juice, etc.). Most of the species are nocturnal or crepuscular, with the exception of the mace and individual representatives of other groups. Caterpillars are exclusively herbivorous. They live openly on the surface of plants (or mine leaves), in stems, roots. Predatory caterpillars are known. The nutrition of some moths, capable of assimilating hair and other horny substances, is peculiar.

Lepidoptera is the largest order in the fauna of the USSR: it unites about 15 thousand species. The detachment is divided into two unequal suborders: homoptera and heteroptera. The largest number of species is in the suborder of heteroptera. Representatives of this detachment are the most beautiful and brightest insects. In terms of variety of colors, butterflies can only be compared with flowering plants. Both those and others are an adornment of nature.

The economic importance of Lepidoptera is very high. More than 1,000 species have been registered in the USSR that damage agricultural crops and tree species. Among them are winter, grain and other scoops, meadow, corn and other moths. The silkworm and some peacock-eyes have long been bred to produce silk.

Family Thinworms

Family Thinworms- a primitive ancient family, numbering no more than 20 species in the USSR. It includes relatively large or medium-sized butterflies of a peculiar morphology and behavior. Caterpillars are hairy, feed on the roots of various plants.

Caucasian thinworm- a kind of beautiful butterfly, a relic of the Tertiary period. The length of the front wings is 33-50 mm, they are brownish-pinkish with a complex pattern and several golden-silver spots, and the hind wings are solid brownish-gray with a pinkish apex and outer edge. Butterflies live in the forest zone and cultural landscapes of the foothills and mountains of the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. They lead a twilight life. Their flight is peculiar: the females fly above the ground in a pendulum-like manner, scattering their eggs among the bushes. The flight is observed from the end of June to the beginning of August. The larvae feed on the roots of hazel, blackberry, alder; pupae are free to move back and forth in a long tubular cocoon.

Family Peacock-eye wavy

Family Peacock-eye wavy- an ancient family, represented on the territory of the USSR by 3 species. All of them are similar to each other in that a number of striated lines run along the outer edge of their wings. All representatives of this family are rare species, therefore they are included in the Red Book of the USSR.

Bramey Lederer- a large butterfly (the length of the front wing is up to 53 mm), its wings are dark with a median band, bordered on both sides by dark and light wavy lines that make up a transverse jet pattern. Inhabits areas of the relict Colchis forest of Georgia and Adjara. The flight of butterflies is observed in April, butterflies are nocturnal. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of hazel, phyllirea, etc. The chrysalis hibernates in the soil.

Brameya Christoph(Table 19) outwardly very similar to Lederer's brameya, differing from it in somewhat larger wing sizes and the nature of the striated pattern. It lives on the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, along gorges, ravines, slopes in a humid subtropical forest. Butterflies are active at night, and during the day they sit motionless on the trunks and branches of trees. Flight in April - May. Caterpillars feed on ash leaves. The pupa hibernates in the soil.

Brameya Far Eastern differs from the previous species in a more jet-like wavy pattern. Distributed in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, and outside the USSR - in Korea and China. Habitats - moist valley broad-leaved forests of Sikhote-Alin. The species produces one generation per year. Butterflies fly in June - early July, caterpillars feed on representatives of the olive family.

Peacock-eye family

Peacock-eye family distributed mainly in the tropics. In the USSR, it is represented by no more than 20 species. These are large butterflies, on each wing they have a rounded spot of different sizes and colors, the hind wing may have an outgrowth in the form of a tail. The antennae of males are comb-shaped, while those of females are shortly sawtooth. Adult insects do not feed, and therefore have a rudimentary proboscis. Peacock-eyes can be used as silk producers, so their breeding in the laboratory is promising, which will help not only restore the number of species, but also switch to their direct use in the national economy.

Peacock-eye Artemis(Table 19) - a large (wingspan over 100 mm) beautiful butterfly that lives in the Far East, and outside our country - in Japan, Korea and China. Its color is light green or bluish-green, resembling the leaves of plants in color. On the front and hind wings there are eye spots, transparent, with a brown edging. Part of pronotum and anterior margin of forewings brown. Artemis gives a year one generation, the flight of butterflies in June - July. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the Mongolian oak and some wild fruit plants. This butterfly is not only a decoration of nature, it could be used in sericulture. The practice of its breeding in our country is also known at one of the experimental silk stations in Ukraine.

Peacock eye small nocturnal(Table 20) - a representative of another kind of peacock-eye. This butterfly is more widely distributed on the territory of our country, it is found in the forest zone and forest-steppes of Eurasia, in the Caucasus and the Far East. Its wingspan is 50-70 mm, eye spots on the wings are large and have a dark edging, there are several wavy lines on the wings. Adult insects are found in spring and early summer on forest edges, near small ponds, in gardens. Caterpillars feed on woody, shrubby and herbaceous plants, mainly of the Rosaceae family. The chrysalis hibernates in a cocoon.

Chinese oak silkworm(Table 1) - large butterfly (wingspan up to 160 mm). Both pairs of wings have transparent mica eyes, edged with rims, the color of which varies. The general tone of the color of the wings is pinkish-yellow, brownish-pinkish, or gray and yellow tones predominate. The silkworm develops during the year in one generation, the chrysalis hibernates in a cocoon. It is interesting that cocoon threads are used in the countries of the East (China, Korea, Japan) to obtain chesuchi. The Chinese oak silkworm is relatively easy to breed in the laboratory (there are cases when it was bred for scientific purposes in the laboratories of universities and research institutes). At present, this species is practically not bred, since it is found in very small numbers in certain regions and districts of the Primorsky, Khabarovsk Territories and the Amur Region. However, breeding can be considered the main way to preserve this species and restore dying populations in nature.

Family Moths

Family Moths- unites species for which a spindle-shaped body shape, narrow elongated front and relatively short hind wings are very characteristic. Almost all butterflies (with rare exceptions) have long proboscises and are distinguished by powerful fast flight. Most species are active during the twilight hours and only a few fly during the day. Butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers and suck it on the fly, without sitting on the plants. Hawk hawk caterpillars are large, naked, with a characteristic horn at the end of the body. The pupae overwinter in the soil, in earthen caves. The family of hawks in the tropics is most richly represented by species; no more than 60 species live on the territory of our country.

Hawk hawk "dead head"(Table 21) - the most unusual butterfly not only among other species of the family, but also among all other butterflies: the pattern on the chest of this hawk resembles a skull with bones crossed under it, for which the species got its name. The closest relatives of the "dead head" live in the tropics, and in our fauna it is the only representative of the genus. Butterflies, pupae and caterpillars can make peculiar sounds. Caterpillars feed on various plants, in particular on representatives of the nightshade family. The most interesting feature of the biology of this species is the ability to migrate over long distances. It can fly far to the north, into the middle and southern stripes of the European part of the USSR. The "dead head" develops during the year in two generations, and in the southernmost regions there is sometimes an incomplete third. Pupae overwinter in the soil. Butterflies love to feast on honey, so they climb into the hives, but because of the small number of beekeeping, they do not cause damage. In this regard, a call to beekeepers: do not destroy this rare beautiful butterfly while it is in the hive!

Tab. 21. Moth hawks: 1 - "dead head"; 2 - oleander

Moth hawk Komarova(Table 22) reaches 60--85 mm in wingspan. The body and forewings are greenish, the hindwings are yellowish with a transverse marginal stripe. It is found in a number of European countries, as well as in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan. In our country, it lives in the mountainous regions of Central Asia, as well as in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. Caterpillars feed on various types of milkweeds. The flight of butterflies is observed at different latitudes and at different heights at different times, most often from April to July. Butterflies usually fly late at night.

Oleander hawk(Table 21) with a wingspan of 90-95 mm, beautiful, green in various shades with lines of lilac, pinkish and white. Like the "dead head", he is capable of migrating over long distances. It lives in Africa, India, the countries of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In our country, it is found on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Crimea, in the North Caucasus, in Moldova. Caterpillars feed on various plants, but mainly oleander. In the tropics, this hawk hawk breeds throughout the year. On the territory of our country, vagrant individuals appear at the end of May. Butterflies lay eggs, which soon hatch into caterpillars. The development of caterpillars takes place in 2-3 weeks, and pupae in 15-20 days, almost the same time.

Migratory individuals are found on the territory of our country and in those places where hawk hawk does not breed, for example, in the Leningrad Region. Butterflies can lay eggs until late autumn, and at the same time, caterpillars develop from them, which die during wintering. In those places where the oleander hawk hawk can breed, it gives two generations a year, its pupae overwinter.

Turang hawk(Table 22) lives in turanga tugai of deserts, known from several places (small areas) of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. This butterfly reaches a wingspan of 65-75 mm. The body and wings are yellowish or pinkish gray with darker bands on the forewings and lines on the hindwings. Gives two generations a year, caterpillars feed on turanga leaves. The pupa hibernates in the upper soil layer. The flight of butterflies of the first generation is observed from the end of April and in May, and the second in July - August. A whole complex of species is associated with turanga tugais, therefore, by naming even a few of them and subsequently organizing their protection, it is possible to preserve entire complexes of invertebrate animals associated with tugai.

Hissar hawkweed is represented in the USSR by a subspecies endemic to Tajikistan, described by Yu. L. Shchetkin. The wingspan of this hawk hawk is up to 103 mm, the pattern of the body and wings is dark brown with sinuous stripes, spots and lines of light and reddish hues. It lives on the southern slopes of the Hissar Range at an altitude of 1100-1600 m above sea level. m. This warm and moisture-loving species is trophically associated with wild grapes and vineyards. It gives one complete and one partial generation per year. The flight of butterflies of the first generation is observed in April - May, the second in August - October. Most of the pupae of the first generation go to winter. Pupation occurs in damp places (under stones, in the soil near vines, in the dust of decaying wood, etc.).

Hissar hawk is a tertiary relic, the preservation of which on our planet without additional human intervention is almost impossible, since relics are one of the most vulnerable groups not only of invertebrates, but also of vertebrates.

Hawk hawk(Table 22) is found on the territory of the USSR in Transcaucasia, and outside our country - in the south of Western and Central Europe. This is a medium-sized butterfly (wingspan 65-75 mm), its front wings are brownish-gray with an oblique dark line, and the hind wings are pinkish with a dark basal part and edge. Gives one complete and one partial generation per year. Butterfly flight in April - June. Females lay no more than 2-10 eggs per plant. Caterpillars feed on fireweed and bedstraw leaves. Pupation occurs in autumn in the upper layers of the soil, 75% of pupae go to winter, butterflies fly out of the rest in autumn. An interesting feature of the species is that caterpillars of the fourth and fifth instars feed at night, and during the day they lie among pebbles or under stones, curled up in a ring, imitating pebbles.

Ash hawk hawk distributed mainly in North India and Afghanistan. In the USSR, it is known from a few places on the territory of Tajikistan in mid-mountain valleys and gorges along the banks of rivers and streams at an altitude of 1100-2100 m above sea level. m. The body color of this hawk hawk is gray-brown, the wings are with bandages, spots and light jagged lines, the hind wings are slightly lighter than the front ones. Of the features of biology, monophagy is the most characteristic: feeding on only one plant species (relict riverine ash). Butterfly flight and egg laying last from May to September. Embryonic development takes place in just a few days, the caterpillar develops for about 25 days, pupates in the upper soil layer near the host plant. The pupae hibernate. The species gives two complete generations and one partial generation per year, therefore, part of the pupae of the third generation and all of the second generation hibernate.

Corydalis family

Corydalis family combines butterflies of medium size with hairy legs and body. The proboscis is usually reduced. Wings with a hook: the rear edge of the forewing usually has a scaly tooth at the middle. The wings are folded roof-like. Caterpillars are mostly naked and equipped with fleshy humps or other outgrowths of the body; their hind legs usually do not serve for movement and are sometimes turned into a tail fork. Particularly interesting are the caterpillars of harpies and forktails, which have extremely long pectoral legs. Caterpillars of holes and brushes are hairy. Among Corydalis there are species that harm woody plants: a silver hole, for example, harms oak, poplars and other hardwoods.

Corydalis tugai, as well as turanga hawk moth, it is associated with turanga tugais. Inhabits forest turanga-loch thickets, where other plants are also found (tamarix, camel thorn, saltwort, etc.), in certain regions of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This is a medium-sized butterfly (wingspan no more than 30 mm), its front wings are grayish-white with dark pollination, the rear ones with a dark outer part. The biology of the species has not been studied enough. The flight of butterflies varies in terms, depending on the area, from April to early August. Caterpillars feed on turanga leaves, and possibly some other plants. In a year, a butterfly gives 2-3 generations. Corydalis tugai should be protected, as well as turanga hawk hawk, together with the entire complex of vegetation and fauna of turanga tugai in the floodplains of the desert zone.

Family Silkworms

Family Silkworms the real ones include butterflies of medium size with a thick body. There is no proboscis in adult insects, the antennae are feathery or comb-shaped. Notched front fenders. Caterpillars are naked with a soft horn-like outgrowth on the 8th segment of the abdomen. Pupa in dense silk cocoon. This family includes the silkworm, the breeding of which is a whole branch of the national economy - sericulture. Silkworm silk has long been used by man for the preparation of fabrics. Natural silk is the most valuable industrial raw material. Its physical, mechanical and chemical properties are superior to other natural fibers in many respects. In addition to the textile industry, natural silk is used in medicine, instrument making and other industries.

Silkworm wild mulberry(Table 20) - the closest relative of the domesticated silkworm, lives on the territory of our country in South Primorye, and beyond its borders - in Japan, Korea and China. Outwardly, it is very similar to home, its wingspan does not exceed 40 mm. The coloration of the body and wings is reddish-brown, the forewings are incised at the apex, the coloration near the notch is dark. The wild silkworm, like the domestic one, feeds on different types of mulberries. During the season, it develops in one generation; apparently, pupae overwinter. The conservation of this species is also necessary for further use in breeding work.

Ursa family

Ursa family consists of small, medium, less often large butterflies, of which there are about 150 species on the territory of the USSR. Caterpillars of she-bears are warty-hairy, their ventral legs have a longitudinal row of hooks, longer in the center. The family is divided into two subfamilies: real she-bears and lichens. The first includes butterflies of medium and large sizes with a thick spotted abdomen and usually variegated wings. Their antennae are comb-shaped, the proboscis is poorly developed. Caterpillars are hairy, polyphagous, usually feed on various herbaceous plants. Lichens are small butterflies with narrow wings, painted in yellow-gray tones. The name of the subfamily characterizes the biology of butterflies: their caterpillars feed on lichens and some mosses. There are very few pests among bears, but the American white butterfly is well known as a pest of hardwoods and especially fruit trees. It belongs to the subfamily of real bears.

She-bear Hera(Table 23) - a beautiful bright butterfly of medium size (wingspan 55-60 mm). The front wings are dark with oblique yellowish stripes, the hind wings are red with dark spots. It is distributed in the European part of the USSR (except the Far North), in the Caucasus, in Transcaucasia, and outside our country - in some European countries, in Turkey, Iran, Syria. Inhabits forest clearings and edges among shrubs in the zone of deciduous forests. The flight of butterflies is observed in July-August, it develops in one generation in a year. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of various plants - herbaceous, shrubs, semi-shrubs, trees (lambberry, plantain, fireweed, honeysuckle, raspberry, oak, beech, etc.). Winters in the caterpillar stage.

The red-dotted bear has a wingspan of no more than 32-40 mm, the front wings are much narrower than the hind wings and are variegated: the main tone is white, and on it is a bright pattern of dark and red spots. The hindwings are light with a dark, irregularly shaped marginal stripe. It is distributed everywhere in the USSR, mainly in the southern regions, but everywhere it is rare and occurs sporadically. Lives in open biotopes: meadows, separate areas of steppes, wastelands. The biology of the species and the distribution of the red-dotted bear have not been studied enough. The species was studied in most detail in the conditions of Tajikistan, where it develops in several generations; spring generations are very few, so it is difficult to detect them. In Tajikistan, butterflies can usually be found at the end of September - in October, and caterpillars - throughout the summer and even until November. Caterpillars feed on plants of the borage family, pupate in the ground under fodder plants. In the middle lane, the red-dotted bear gives two generations a year, flight is observed in May - June and from July to September; caterpillars feed on bruise, borage, forget-me-not leaves.

Transcaspian gloomy bear(Table 23) is a representative of a monotypic genus in our fauna. It is found in Turkmenistan and the Caucasus, and outside the USSR - in Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Iraq. This butterfly is one of the largest representatives of the family (wingspan sometimes exceeds 100 mm). The color of the forewings is solid black, the basal part of the hindwings is brick-red, and their outer part is dark. The abdomen is red-brown with a dark terminal part. One of the interesting features of the biology of the species is that the butterfly lives in rock biotopes and in caves. The flight takes place in July, in Kopetdag it is noted from mid-June to mid-July and in September, i.e. butterflies hatch from late May to July, live and lay eggs until autumn. They give one generation a year. Caterpillars are found on sagebrush, pupation in Kopetdag takes place in May, the pupa stage lasts 30-35 days.

Lady Bear(Table 23) - a beautiful medium-sized butterfly (wingspan 45-55 mm). The forewings are dark with light spots, the hindwings are bright red or yellow with dark spots. Inhabits forest clearings and forest edges in woodlands of deciduous and mixed forests of the European part of the USSR, in the central and southern regions of the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. For a year it develops in one generation. The flight of butterflies is in June-July, the caterpillars live and feed on herbaceous plants (nettle, lamb, forget-me-not) and on some shrubs and trees (honeysuckle, willows, poplars). The caterpillar hibernates in a cocoon on the ground. There is evidence that the lady bear may occasionally appear in some places (for example, in Armenia) in mass and damage the leaves of forest and fruit trees and shrubs (apple, hornbeam). However, this is doubtful, since in some regions of our country and abroad this butterfly is very rare.

Owl family

Owl family represented on the territory of the USSR by 2000 species. Adult insects are most active at twilight and at night, with the exception of some pests that fly during the day. There are many plant pests among scoops. According to the nature of the damage, the scoops are divided into gnawers (their caterpillars live in the soil and gnaw plants at the base) and terrestrial ones, in which the caterpillars damage the above-ground organs of plants. Scoops are very prolific, one female sometimes lays 3000 eggs. Caterpillars of most scoop species have 8 pairs of legs, and only some of them have 6 pairs. The most dangerous pests of cultivated plants are winter scoops, exclamation, gamma, grain, meadow, cotton, alfalfa, caradrin, cabbage, pine, etc. Some beautiful and bright representatives of this family that are not pests of agriculture and forestry, for example, representatives of the subfamily of tapeworms become rare and deserve protection.

Raspberry order ribbon- one of the many species of the genus, whose representatives are widespread in Europe, Asia and North America. Within the USSR, the species is found in the European part of the USSR, in the southern Urals, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, living in oak forests of the broad-leaved forest zone. The wingspan of this butterfly is 65-70 mm. The coloration and pattern of the forewings are characteristic of the scoop family: the main tone is brownish-gray with transverse wavy stripes and spots. The hindwings are crimson red with a black outer margin and a medial wavy stripe. The flight of butterflies is observed from the end of June to mid-September, they give one generation a year. Wintering eggs. Caterpillars feed on leaves of oak, chestnut, aspen, etc. Pupation occurs in a white loose cocoon, which is placed between the leaves or branches of trees.

Order ribbon blue(Table 24) - a representative of the same genus as the previous species; occurs throughout the forest zone of our country from its western borders to Primorye; outside the USSR - in Northern China, Japan, North America. This is a medium-sized butterfly (wingspan 80-85 mm). The main tone of the forewings is bluish-gray, the pattern in the form of broken lines and characteristic spots. The hindwings are dark with a blue transverse band. Butterflies of this species live in forests, floodplains, on the edges, glades and clearings, flight is observed in July-October, gives one generation a year. The eggs that hibernate are laid by females in bark cracks on tree trunks and branches. Caterpillars feed on leaves of various types of poplar, birch, oak, maple, etc. Caterpillars pupate in a cocoon between leaves or tree branches. Despite the fact that the range of the species is quite large, a decrease in its number is observed almost everywhere.

There are few specific numbers, but there is evidence that in the 70s, 5-6 times fewer butterflies flew into the world than in the 50s.

Ribbon order turangovy(Table 24) lives in tugai forests or small groves of turanga, often with an admixture of oleaster and other vegetation, in certain regions of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The front wings of this butterfly are gray with characteristic curved lines and spots, and the hind wings are bright red with a dark band along the outer edge. It gives one generation a year, flight is observed at night from May to July. During the day, butterflies usually sit on turanga trunks near the ground or crawl into cracks in trees. Caterpillars feed on turanga leaves, pupate in a loose web under the lagged bark.

Ribbon timur outwardly it is very similar to the turanga sash, but differs from it in the color of the front wings: it is not gray, like in the previous species, but brown with a brown tint. This butterfly lives in floodplain turanga thickets along the rivers of the desert zone in certain places in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and outside our country - in Northwestern China and Iran. Its biology is very similar to that of the previous species: butterflies are active only at night (during the day they sit in shelters). They give one generation a year, flying in May-June. Caterpillars feed on turanga leaves, caterpillars that have not finished feeding overwinter. Pupation takes place in April.

Turang sash(Table 24) and the timur tapeworm can be protected only together with the entire complex of flora and fauna of turanga tugais. This is very important to note, since the area of ​​Turanga tugais is declining. In this regard, in the near future, certain areas of the tugai, where a complex of rare insect species has been preserved, must be taken under protection.

Ribbon order lesbian- medium-sized butterfly (wingspan 80-85 mm). The forewings are brownish with curved transverse lines, the hindwings are orange-red with dark bands and spots. Distributed in Turkmenistan and Transcaucasia, however, it is very difficult to establish specific habitats due to insufficient knowledge of the biology of this species. The way of life of butterflies and the preimaginal stages of development have not yet been studied, it is only noted that the flight of butterflies takes place in June. It can be assumed that this butterfly develops during the year in one generation.

Scoop spur- a representative of a monotypic genus in the territory of the USSR. It lives in the virgin steppes of the European part of our country, in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, and abroad - in a number of European countries, North Africa and Asia Minor. This is a small size (wingspan no more than 35 mm), but a very beautiful butterfly. The forewings are pinkish-purple and have dark lines, the hindwings are yellowish-gray with a dark outer edge. The body is densely covered with hairs. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies is in May-June. Caterpillars feed on flowers and fruits of some buttercups (larkspur, wrestler). The pupa hibernates in the soil in an earthen cradle. Despite the rather extensive range, the number of spur cutworms has decreased everywhere so much that the species has become almost extinct. European populations are in a particularly threatened position.

Amur snake scoop(Table 25) - a representative of a tropical monotypic genus.

It lives in the Far East in the deciduous forests of Southern Primorye, and outside our country - in China, Japan, India. The wingspan of a butterfly is 90-100 mm. The front wings are dark with indistinct lines and pointed apices, the hind wings are yellow with a dark spot and a band on each. Butterflies feed on the flowing sap of trees. The flight is in July-August. Caterpillars pupate in a cocoon of woven leaves.

Scoop downy-winged Juno(Table 25), like the previous species, is a representative of a monotypic tropical genus. It lives in the valley mixed forests of Southern Primorye, and outside our country - in Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia. This is a very beautiful medium-sized butterfly (wingspan no more than 80 mm). The forewings are brownish-brown with light transverse lines, the hindwings are very bright: their outer edge is bright red, the rest is dark with light blue stripes. The butterfly gives one generation a year, flying in August-October. Butterflies are active at night (hiding during the day), flying together on odorous baits. Eggs are laid on various hardwoods: Manchurian walnut, oak, birch, etc. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of these plants.

Moth family

Moth family more than 1000 species are represented on the territory of our country. Their body is usually thin, slender, the wings are wide, flattened at rest, rarely raised up or folded, there is a hook. For moth caterpillars, it is very characteristic that they have only two pairs of ventral legs, in connection with this they move in a peculiar way: their body bends in an arc, while its front and rear ends are connected, i.e., they seem to measure the distance with spans, from where and family name originated. Caterpillars feed on leaves of woody or shrubby plants, less often grassy vegetation. Among the moths there are serious pests of plants - winter, pine, skinned, gooseberry, etc.

Magnificent moth(Table 26) - a small butterfly (wingspan no more than 55 mm) of bright and unusual color: the general tone of the wings is yellowish-green or olive-green, their marginal part is bordered on one side by a wide light stripe with transverse black lines, and on the other - longitudinal light and yellow-orange lines. Butterflies of this species live in Southern Primorye in valley mixed forests, and outside the USSR - in China. Flight is observed in July-August. They lay their eggs on the Manchurian walnut, the leaves of which the caterpillars feed on. They give one generation per year. The caterpillar is green in color and resembles a curled leaf of a fodder plant. The caterpillar pupates between the dry leaves of the Manchurian walnut, which are connected by a silky thread.

Heimopten feathered- a kind of butterfly. It is characterized by the fact that only males have wings (wingspan 30-40 mm), and females are wingless. The body of males and females is densely pubescent. The front and hind wings of males have a long fringe of scales. It lives in Central Asia in dune sands, where white saxaul grows. It gives one generation a year, and flight is observed in winter, in December-February. Males fly during the day, while females crawl along the sand among plant debris, on which they lay their eggs. In the spring, caterpillars emerge from the eggs and feed on white saxaul. The pupa diapauses during the summer and part of the winter.

Epiplemid family

Epiplemid family- tropical and in our fauna is represented extremely poorly. It has not been studied enough from the point of view of systematics and biology.

Nossa Ussuri(Table 26) - a relict species, endemic to the lower reaches of the Amur and Northern Primorye in the USSR. This is a medium-sized butterfly (wingspan 65-70 mm). The wings are white with dark veins, a border and bandages. Inhabits mountain mixed forests. Biology is almost not studied, it is only known that butterflies are diurnal, and flight is observed in June. The Ussuri Nossa deserves attention also due to the fact that, along with other animal species, in particular birds (Indian cuckoo, forest stone thrush), it is found in larch forests of the more northern parts of the Amur region, where conditions, it would seem, are completely unsuitable for these animals.

All this indicates that the areas inhabited by these amazing animals should be taken under protection, that is, it is necessary to protect the complexes of animals and plants living in these unusual places.

Leaf Roller Family

Leaf Roller Family in our country is represented by about 1000 species. These are mainly small butterflies (wingspan no more than 30 mm), most numerous in the forest and forest-steppe zones. They are characterized by blunt lower labial palps and relatively wide, often variegated wings with a short fringe. Caterpillars have 5 pairs of ventral legs, the soles of which are equipped with a crown of claws. The body is almost naked, only in some places with separate setae. Caterpillars live in rolled leaves, stems and roots of plants. Some species (codling moths) live in the fruits of various plants and feed on them. Apple, pear and plum codling moths are dangerous pests of fruit crops. Some species - oak leafworm, shoots - damage forest species, and pea codling moth and alfalfa seed beetle - field crops. One representative of this family is included in the Red Book of the USSR.

Giant leaf roller(Table 23) - the largest species of the family in our fauna, a relic of the Tertiary period. It lives in the subalpine and bald belt of the Southern Sikhote-Alin, outside the USSR - in Japan. The wingspan of this butterfly is 30-40 mm; the forewings are yellow with a brown mesh pattern, the hindwings are orange-yellow with a brown mesh pattern (in the female) or almost entirely brown (in the male). It is found along mountain streams. Features of biology are practically not studied. Forage plants of caterpillars are fir and spruce. Butterfly flight is observed in July - August.

Sailboat family

Sailboat family especially richly represented in the tropics. Only 35 types of sailboats live in our country. Representatives of this family have characteristic features: the front legs of adult insects with a well-developed paw, on which there are two claws; hindwings with a characteristic notch along the inner margin and often with a long caudal process. Caterpillars have an osmeterium located behind the head (a retractable gland in the form of a fork that emits a specific smell), live on herbaceous plants. The pupae are angular, without a cocoon, attached to the substrate with a cremaster and a silky belt, head up. The most beautiful diurnal butterflies of our fauna belong to this family. More than half of the species of the domestic fauna of sailboats are included in the Red Book of the USSR.

Alkina(Table 27) - the only representative of the genus in the USSR, a relic of the Tertiary period, found in the south of Primorye, and outside our country - in Japan, China and Korea. The wingspan is 90 mm, the wings are black or brownish-gray, on the rear along the outer edge there is a row of crescent red spots. The outgrowth on the hind wings is equal to about a third of the wing. Alkyna lives in black-fir-broad-leaved forests. It gives two generations a year, the flight of butterflies is observed in May-June and July-August. The caterpillars are monophages and feed only on the leaves of the Manchurian kirkazon. The chrysalis hibernates. It is obvious that for the protection of insects associated with one type of forage plant (or several), it is necessary to conserve areas of forage plants as well. Kirkazon Manchurian is listed in the Red Book of the USSR and is subject to protection; the organization of other reserves is also expected, which will contribute to the conservation of alkinoy - a very rare butterfly.

Tailed Maak(Table 27) - one of the largest and brightest butterflies in the fauna of the USSR. It lives in the Far East, including the Kuril Islands, and outside our country - in Korea and China. The wings of this butterfly are velvety black with a green tint, and the hind ones are also bluish; the forewings of females are dark and without ebb. The species produces two generations per year. In April-May, the spring generation flies, which is distinguished by its relatively small size (wingspan about 75-80 mm). In July - September, butterflies of the second generation of larger sizes appear (range 110-130 mm). Most often, butterflies are found along the banks of rivers and streams, on wet roads and on flowering plants, especially on rowan sorbaria. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the velvet tree and the ash tree (from the rue family). It is interesting to note that one intermediate generation develops on the ash tree.

Tail-bearer Maaka is found in some places (most often in broad-leaved forests) is still in sufficient numbers, but in mountain mixed forests and in the spruce-fir taiga it is already found singly.

Swallowtail(Table 28) is found almost throughout the entire territory of our country, even entering the Arctic, it also lives in a number of European countries, but it has become rare almost everywhere, and therefore is under protection in many countries. The wingspan of this well-known butterfly is 65-85 mm. Their main color is yellow, and the veins, the root of the forewings and the inner edge of the hindwings, spots and marginal stripes are black. There are blue spots along the outer edge of the hind wings along a dark border, and a red-orange spot at the rear corner. On the hind wings there are short (9-10 mm) black tails. In most of its range, the swallowtail gives two generations a year, and only in the Far North one generation. Flight in the main part of the range is observed in May-June and July-August, in the north - in June and July, and in Central Asia - from March to November. Caterpillars feed on plants of the families Umbelliferae, Compositae, Labiaceae, Rue. in the Bukhara region. we met a swallowtail not far from ferula plants, which feed on its caterpillars. This butterfly hibernates in the pupal stage.

For such widely distributed species as the swallowtail, it is very difficult to estimate the total stock of abundance, since it is almost impossible to study its condition throughout the territory of our country. However, it is wrong to assume that wide-range species are invulnerable, unlike narrow-range ones. This is an erroneous opinion. Such species, the range and number of which are declining, must be registered, control over the number in protected areas should be established.

alexanor(Table 28) - a rare species, one of the few Palearctic representatives of the tropical genus, found in the USSR in the mountains of Transcaucasia and Central Asia, and outside our country - in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey. It occurs in the mountains: in Europe - up to 1300 m above sea level. m., in Central Asia - up to 2000-2500 m and in Afghanistan - at an altitude of more than 3100 m above sea level. m., everywhere confined to rocky-gravelly slopes. Outwardly, it is very similar to the swallowtail, but differs from it in the size and shape of the black stripes on the front and hind wings. Wingspan 80-90 mm. Development lasts approximately 2 years; the pupae of the vast majority of the population overwinter twice. The flight of butterflies is observed in June-July, at the same time they lay their eggs. Caterpillars occur singly in June-July, feed on flowers, fruits and leaves of Karategin and Ugam ferulas. They pupate in July-August. Alexanor is very rare in all parts of its range; it is included in the lists of protected species in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan.

Podalirium(Table 29) - a representative of a monotypic genus in the fauna of the USSR. It lives in the Caucasus, in the European part of the USSR, in Kazakhstan and Altai, and outside our country - in a number of European countries, North Africa, Asia Minor. The wingspan of this butterfly is about 70 mm. The general tone of the color of the wings is cream, a row of wedge-shaped black transverse bands stands out on it, the hind wings carry long tails. The habitats of the podaliria are forest edges, glades, foothill and mountain broad-leaved forests, orchards. In the middle lane, the flight of butterflies is observed in May-August. Usually they give one generation per year, but in some years two generations are observed: in May-June and July-August; in the south there are always two generations: in March-April and June-July. Caterpillars feed on fruit crops - apple, cherry, plum, bird cherry, mountain ash, willow and other trees and shrubs. The chrysalis hibernates.

Apollo(Table 29) - the largest representative of the genus (wingspan 85-95 mm). It is distributed in the European part of the USSR, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, in Kazakhstan, in Altai, in Southern Siberia, and outside the USSR - in Western Europe and Asia Minor. The general tone of the color of the wings is white, the wings of females at the outer edge are less pollinated, and therefore translucent. The forewings have black spots, while the hindwings are red with a white center and black outer edging. Apollo is found in the flat and mountainous parts along the forest edges, in dry forests and other places. Not capable of migration. The flight of butterflies is observed in June-August, they give one generation a year, feed on flowers. Egg laying and feeding of caterpillars take place on stonecrop. Formed caterpillars hibernate inside the eggs. The number of Apollo is declining throughout its range both in our country and abroad, so it is protected in many countries. This species is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Mnemosyne, or black Apollo(Table 33), occurs locally throughout the European part of the USSR, with the exception of the northern regions, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, in Siberia, and outside the USSR - in the countries of Western Europe. This butterfly is not large (wingspan 50-60 mm), its wings are white with black spots, the outer edge of the front wing with a wide translucent gray stripe and two black spots, the inner edges of the hind wings are black. Habitats - edges and clearings of mixed and deciduous forests in the Caucasus up to an altitude of 1500-2000 m above sea level. m., valleys of streams and small rivers. The flight of butterflies takes place in May-July, they give one generation a year. They feed on flowers, eggs are laid on plants of the Corydalis genus; caterpillars that lead a twilight lifestyle (hide during the day) feed on the same plants. Formed caterpillars hibernate under egg shells.

Apollo Nordmann- a rare species, endemic to the Caucasus, found in the subalpine and alpine belts of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. Outwardly, it is similar to the Mnemosyne, differing from it only in the darker outer edges of the wings and the presence of bright orange spots on the hind wings, bordered by dark rims. Each wing has 2 spots. Wingspan 55-65 mm. It lives in meadows, where there are plants from the genus Corydalis, which caterpillars feed on. Gives one generation per year. Butterfly flight is observed in July-September. It overwinters as a caterpillar, which pupates in May-June of the following year.

Delphius(Table 30) is represented in our fauna by a very large number of subspecies living in the highlands of the Pamir-Alay and Tien Shan (at an altitude of 3300-5000 m above sea level). This is a bright, beautiful, small butterfly (wingspan 55-60 mm). The general tone of the wings is white, they have transverse dark stripes, the outer edges are translucent, the basal part and the inner edge of the hind wings are dark. On each of the hind wings there are 2 red spots with a black border. Habitats characteristic of Delphius are rocky screes and areas with low-grass meadow vegetation. Features of its biology have not been studied enough, the species affiliation of the caterpillar of this species is doubtful. Gives one generation a year; it is probably a young caterpillar that hibernates. Forage plants of caterpillars are various types of Corydalis. Butterfly flight is observed in July-August.

Apollo Tien Shan(Table 30), like the previous species, is represented on the territory of the USSR by many subspecies that live on the high ridges of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay in mountain valleys (at an altitude of 1200 to 4300 m above sea level). Butterfly brightly colored, wingspan 70-80 mm. The outer edges of the front wings are translucent, a transverse chain of white spots runs inward from them. There are red, dark-edged eyes on both the front and hind wings, on the hind wings there is also an external band of dark spots. It is confined to forb meadow slopes. It gives one generation a year, flight is observed in July-August, butterflies fly only in bright light. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of false stonecrop and radiola. Caterpillars hibernate in leaf litter, pupate under stones and in leaf litter.

Apollo Eversmann(Table 31) - a peculiar representative of the genus, the color of the wings of which is dominated by yellow pigment. It occurs in the mountains of Siberia, the Amur Region and Primorye, in the northeast it reaches Chukotka, and outside our country - in the USA (Alaska), Mongolia, and Japan. The color of the wings in males is bright or pale yellow, in females the wings are almost white with several transparent bands. On the hind wings, 2 red spots edged with black. Wingspan 60-65 mm. Habitats - mountain tundra and subalpine belt, descends down to a height of 700-800 m above sea level. m. It gives one generation a year, flight is observed in July-August. Overwinters in the egg stage. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the giant corydalis and pupate in the spring.

Apollo East Siberian(Table 31) - a representative of a special group of the genus, found in the mountainous regions of Siberia and the Far East, and outside the USSR - in China and Mongolia. Wingspan 50-60 mm. The wings are white with a dark pattern, they have a row of dark spots along the outer edge and several small red ones, edged with black. Habitats - valleys of taiga mountain rivers, tundra woodlands, mountain tundra. The flight of butterflies is observed in May-June, they give one generation a year. Caterpillars feed on plants from the genus Corydalis.

Phoebus- a peculiar representative of the genus, found in the mountainous regions of Siberia, in the Urals and south-east of Kazakhstan, outside the USSR - in the Alps, Mongolia, North America. Wingspan 60-65 mm. The wings are white, the outer edge of the front (and in females and rear) is transparent, on the back there are 2 red spots, edged in black. Females may have additional red-edged spots on the forewings and hindwings. Habitats - alpine meadows, alpine tundra, less often middle and low mountains. The flight of butterflies in different parts of the range takes place at different times, mainly from June to August. Gives one generation per year. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of saxifrage, stonecrop, young. It overwinters as a caterpillar that pupates in spring.

apollo actius represented on the territory of our country by a number of locally located subspecies. In the USSR, the range covers the Pamir, Pamir-Alai, Tien Shan ranges, and outside our country - Afghanistan, Pakistan and adjacent mountainous regions. The wings of the actius are white, slightly covered with dark scales. Chains of dark spots run along the outer edges of the forewings and hindwings. The basal parts of both wings and the inner edge of the hind wings are strongly darkened; there are large, red spots with black edging on the hind wings.

Actius is found in alpine meadows, in river valleys and sai in the vicinity of rock outcrops and rocky slopes. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies and the laying of eggs take place in July-August. Caterpillars hibernate.

Apollo autocrator(Table 32) - the rarest species that lives in areas isolated from each other: one of them is located in our country, in the west of the Pamirs, and the other in northern Afghanistan. This is a very beautiful and unique butterfly. The wingspan is 60-70 mm, the wings are white with abundant dark pollination, the anterior wings have a translucent wide border and transverse dark bands, and the hind wings have large orange spots (they are much smaller in males). Along the outer edge of the hind wing of the female there are 4 black eyes with blue scales inside. The biology of the species has not been sufficiently studied: the preimaginal stages of development (eggs, caterpillars, pupae) are unknown. It gives one generation a year, confined to the habitats of some species of Corydalis, which caterpillars apparently feed on.

Sericin(Table 34) - a rare relict species, the main range of which lies in China, Korea, Mongolia. In our country, sericin is found in Southern Primorye. The wingspan of this butterfly is 65-70 mm. Males are white with large brown spots on the wings, females have brown wings with yellow intermittent stripes; hindwings with long (20-22 mm) tails. Habitats - steep slopes along the banks of the rivers, where the food plant of caterpillars grows - twisted kirkazon. The species gives two generations a year, in the second half of May smaller individuals fly, and in July-August there are large, summer generations.

Males fly very slowly, while females fly poorly (usually sitting in the grass). Eggs are laid on the lower surface of the leaves of the kirk-zone. Caterpillars are found in June and August-September.

Pupae hibernate.

Zerinthia Caucasian- endemic of the Western Caucasus, a relic of the Tertiary period, the only representative of the genus on the territory of the USSR; outside our country is found in Turkey. Its wings are yellow, the front ones have dark stripes and spots, and the rear rows of blue and red spots, the outer edge of the hind wings is serrated. Wingspan 50-55 mm. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies takes place in the flat zone in March-April, and in the mountains in June-July. Eggs are laid on kirkazon - a food plant for caterpillars.

Winters in the pupal stage in a cocoon.

Polyxena(Table 33) - a beautiful bright butterfly that lives in Central and Southern Europe and Asia Minor. The wingspan is 45-55 mm, the color is variegated: dark marginal serrated bands with a light middle stand out against the main yellow background, numerous dark spots, there are bands on the rest of the wings, and on the back there are also a number of red and blue spots. Abdomen with black and red spots. Polyxena is found in those places where there is the main food plant of caterpillars - kirkazon: on the edges of broad-leaved forests, banks and valleys of rivers and streams, etc. Adult butterflies fly in April-May and feed on flowers. Eggs are laid on the kirkazon. The caterpillars meet in July and feed on the leaves of the host plant. The pupae hibernate.

Ludorfia Putsilo(Table 33) - the only representative of the genus in the USSR. It is found in the Far East in South Primorye, and outside our country - in China, Korea, Japan. The wingspan of this bright beautiful butterfly is 45-50 mm. The wings are bright yellow with a pattern of black transverse lines, especially pronounced on the forewings. Along the outer edge of the hind wings there is a row of blue, edged with black spots; 2 red spots are in the anal part. Hind wings have small outgrowths. Habitats - mountain mixed forests (a typical representative of the South Ussuri fauna). One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is observed in April-May. Eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves of the eastern hoof, which serves as a food plant for caterpillars.

Caterpillars meet in summer, pupate in autumn and hibernate at this stage.

Completing the list of types of sailboats included in the Red Book of the USSR, it should be emphasized that it is necessary to protect almost all members of the family. All of them are bright beautiful forms, and there are no pests of cultivated plants among them. The species found in the territory of Central Asia (Hypermnestra, Apollonius, Apollo Zhikimonta, etc.) and in the Far East (Bremer's Apollo, Nomion, Xut) need protection. Protecting the family of sailboats as a whole, we will thus protect the tropical element of our entomofauna.

Belyanki family

Belyanki family represented in the USSR by about 70 species. They are characterized by the predominance of white or yellow in the color of the wings. The forelegs of males and females are normally developed, with two claws, the inner edge of the hind wing is not cut and is adjacent to the abdomen. Caterpillars in short small hairs or spines (large spines on the body are not present). The pupae are angular, attached to the substrate with a silky girdle. Among the whites there are pests of cultivated plants (cabbage, turnip, rutabaga). Some of the most beautiful and striking forms have become rare, and therefore need to be protected.

Caucasian jaundice- a bright beautiful butterfly that lives in the Caucasus. Wingspan 50-55 mm. In males, the wings are bright orange with a dark margin and a dark spot on the forewing; in females, they have a more yellowish tint, the marginal stripes are wider and they have a number of light yellow spots on a common black background. Habitats - mountain slopes overgrown with xerophytic vegetation at an altitude of 1500-2000 m above sea level. m. One generation of butterflies develops per year. They fly in June-July. Caterpillars feed on astragalus leaves. The pupae overwinter, apparently.

Jaundice Tiso(Table 35) - an inhabitant of the mountains of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, outside the USSR it is found in Turkey and Iran. The wingspan is 40-45 mm, their color is bright orange (in males) or bright red (in females). A dark stripe runs along the outer edge of the wings, which is wider in females and with yellow spots. On the front wings of males and females there is one dark spot, and on the hind wings there is an orange spot. This butterfly is an inhabitant of subalpine and alpine meadows at an altitude of 2000-3500 m above sea level. m., also found along the banks of mountain streams and rivers. It gives one generation a year, flight is observed in July-August, and the higher above sea level, the later it is noted: at altitudes up to 2500 m above sea level. m - at the end of June - in July, and above - mainly in July-August. Forage plants of caterpillars are prickly astragalus. The pupae hibernate.

Christoph's jaundice(Table 36) - a rare beautiful species, endemic to Pamir-Alay. The wingspan of this butterfly is 45-50 mm. The forewings are dark orange with dark outer and inner parts; the inner part of the hindwings is bluish-gray, while the outer part is dark. Along the outer edge of the wings there are a number of large yellow or yellowish gray spots. On the front wings there is one dark spot, and on the hind wings there is a small light spot. This butterfly lives on the ridge slopes of the ridges with sparse tragacanth vegetation at an altitude of 3000-3500 m above sea level. m. One generation of butterflies develops per year, they fly in July. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the black sainfoin. The pupa overwinters, apparently.

Jaundice Marco Polo- a rare peculiar species found in the highlands of the Pamirs, and outside our country - in the mountains of Northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, India. The color of her wings is yellow with an admixture of green or orange. Externally, the edges of the wings are darkened, the inner edge of the hind wings is greenish, they have one light spot each. Wingspan 40-45 mm. Habitats - alpine meadows at an altitude of 4000-5000 m above sea level. m. The flight of butterflies is observed in July, the species gives one generation a year. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of plants from the legume family. The pupae hibernate.

Jaundice Avrorin(Table 35) is found only in the Caucasus Mountains and in the Kopetdag, and outside the USSR - in Greece, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran. The butterfly is very beautiful: the wings are bright, red-orange with dark outer edges, in females, yellow spots stand out brightly against a dark background. There is one orange spot on the hind wings. Wingspan 50-60 mm. The species is confined to places with upland xerophytic vegetation at an altitude of 1000-1200 m above sea level. m. One generation of butterflies develops per year, flight is noted in June-July. Caterpillars feed on astragalus leaves. The pupae hibernate.

Greenish jaundice(Table 36) - a rare narrow endemic of Transcaucasia. The wingspan is 50-60 mm, their color is yellowish or pale green, a dark stripe runs along the outer edge, in females there are light spots on it. In males, there is a yellow spot in the middle of the hind wing, and in females, an orange-yellow small spot. Flight is observed in May-July on the rocky slopes of mountains at an altitude of 2000-3000 m above sea level. m. with sparse xerophytic vegetation. One generation of butterflies develops per year. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the prickly sainfoin. The pupae hibernate.

Concluding the review of the genus of jaundices (colias), included in the Red Book of the USSR, we note that there are still a number of bright beautiful butterflies that live in the mountains and in the Far East. All of them need protection. It is necessary to protect the largest butterfly - the jaundice Avrorin, which is common in Siberia, the Amur Region and Primorye.

Dawn of Gruner- one of the rarest species, represented on the territory of the USSR in South Transcaucasia by only one subspecies. This is a medium-sized (wingspan 30-35 mm) and peculiar butterfly: the main tone of the wings is creamy white with a yellow tint in some areas, the tops of the front wings in females are dark gray, in males they are orange, the underside of the hind wings is gray-green with white spots. It occurs in places with upland xerophytic vegetation. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies is observed in May-June. The caterpillars feed on the walker. The pupa overwinters, apparently.

Zorka Transcaucasian(Table 37) is found in South Transcaucasia, and outside the USSR it is distributed in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Iran. Wingspan 30-35 mm. Males with bright lemon-yellow wings, the tip of the front ones is bright orange. In females, the wings are yellowish-white, the apices of the anterior ones are darkened. There is a greenish pattern on the underside of the hindwings. The butterfly is found in areas with upland xerophytic vegetation. Flight is observed in May-June. Forage plants of caterpillars are not exactly known - most likely, these are representatives of the cruciferous family. The pupa overwinters, apparently.

Dawn Chinese(Table 37) lives in South Primorye, and outside the USSR - in China, Korea, and Japan. The main tone of her wings is white, the front wings with a pointed outer corner, where the males have an orange speck edged with black. Wingspan 40-45 mm. Habitats - edges, clearings, clearings of deciduous forests. The biology of the species has not been studied enough. The flight of butterflies in Primorye is observed in May-June (in Korea and in August). Forage plants of caterpillars, apparently, from the cruciferous family.

Zorka zegris has an area, the main part of which lies on the territory of the USSR, in the steppes of the European part and Kazakhstan, as well as in the mountain steppes of the Crimea, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia. The main tone of the wings is yellowish, the tops of the forewings are yellow or with an orange spot (in males). On the hindwings there is a marble pattern, darker tones in females. Wingspan 45-50 mm. This butterfly lives in virgin, untouched steppes. Flight is observed in April-May. Caterpillars feed on plants from the cruciferous family. The chrysalis hibernates.

Microzegris fiery- a representative of a monotypic genus, in our country it is distributed from Saratov to Southern Altai, however, the range of the species is spotted (the butterfly is extremely rare in small areas). Wingspan 35-40 mm. The general tone of the wings is creamy, the tops of the front wings are dark with an orange spot in the center, the underside of the hind wings is yellowish-green with transverse white spots. One generation of butterflies develops per year, flight is observed from March to May (depending on the geographical latitude). Features of the biology of the species have not been studied.

Madais pinkish- an element of the subtropical fauna on the territory of our country, lives only in Turkmenistan, and outside the USSR - in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt. This is a beautiful butterfly of medium size (wingspan 35-45 mm). The color of the wings is pinkish-yellow, the tip of the front wings is dark with two rows of light background spots, the terminal parts of the veins of the hind wings are dark. It occurs in various conditions of the arid zone: in the foothills and in the semi-desert zone of the Kopetdag. Flight in the conditions of Turkmenistan is observed in autumn. Caterpillars live and pupate on capers.

Belyanka glauconoma- a rare tropical species that lives in the USSR in Tajikistan, and abroad - in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Arabia. The wingspan of this butterfly is 35-40 mm. Their main tone is white, the top of the forewings is dark with white spots, on the hindwings the ends of the veins are also with dark spots; below on the forewings the same pattern, but it has a yellow-green color; its color is the same on the reverse side of the hindwings, where there is a chain of dark spots along the outer edge. In Tajikistan, this butterfly was noted in the ravines and sayas on a very steep western rocky slope of the ridge. Tabakchi (500-900 m a.s.l.) with forb xerophytic vegetation characteristic of shiblyak (juniper, Goncharov's double leaf, crimson, Bukhara almond, ephedra, etc.). Several generations of butterflies develop per year, their flight to the ridge. Tobacchi was observed in March-May, July-September (apparently, it develops five generations per year). Other features of biology have not been studied.

White mesentine(Table 37) - the only representative of the genus in the USSR. It occurs only in Turkmenistan, the main range of the species lies abroad - in Afghanistan, Iran, India, Egypt and other countries. The wingspan is 45-55 mm, they are white, the top of the front and the outer edge of the rear with a dark border, on which there are large white spots. Mezentina is found in the flat part at the foot of the Kopetdag, where capers grow, which caterpillars feed on. The species is prone to migration, polycyclic, but in the conditions of our country, flight is not observed every year. The development of caterpillars and pupae is greatly extended in time; in Turkmenistan, it usually takes place in autumn due to individuals that have hatched from eggs laid by butterflies migrating from the south. Butterfly eggs are laid in large heaps on capers. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of capers, the pupae are suspended by a belt from the stems of the host plant.

Danaid family

Danaid family unites mainly tropical species, however, several species of this family also live on the territory of our country. Butterflies are large, yellow-brown in color with a dark pattern, the club of the antennae is weakly expressed. Caterpillars are naked, with pairs of horn-shaped outgrowths at the anterior and posterior ends of the body, and have an unpleasant odor.

Danaida sita(Table 38) - a rare species that lives in our country in the south of Primorye, and outside the USSR - in Korea, China, Japan, North India. The wingspan sometimes exceeds 100 mm. The forewings are pale green above with a black pattern, especially intense on the outer part, the hindwings from the root to the outer field are also pale green, and then there is a dark stripe with small light spots (usually 5 of them); the entire front and outer edges of the wings are painted burgundy. Habitat - mixed forests. Butterfly flight is observed throughout the summer, adult insects often perch on very long, thin, hanging branches of trees. The biology of the species has not been studied enough, so it is difficult to say whether it has aboriginal populations on the territory of the USSR or is a temporary migrant.

It is also necessary to protect another species of the Danaid family - Chrysippus, which lives in Transcaucasia.

Marigold family

Marigold family combines medium-sized and large butterflies with underdeveloped front legs. At the base of the front wings 1-3 Veins are swollen or there is a thickening on only one of the veins. Eye spots are usually developed in the wing pattern. Caterpillars develop on herbaceous plants, most often on cereals. About 200 species of marigolds live in the USSR.

Nigella Hevitson found in the Lesser Caucasus. Its wingspan is 40-45 mm. The wings are brown above, the outer field of the forewings is reddish, and on it at the top there is a large triple ocellus, and below 3-4 more small ocelli. On the hind wings along the outer edge there is a row of 6 ocelli, and around them there is a group of reddish scales. This butterfly lives in forest glades and meadows of mountain coniferous forests. It gives one generation a year, flight is observed in June-July. The preimaginal stages of development have not been studied.

Nigella iranian(Table 38) - a rare species, endemic to the Caucasus, represented by subspecies on the territory of the USSR: one of them lives in the Lesser, and the second in the Greater Caucasus. Wingspan 35-40 mm, they are brown above. At the top of the front wings, along a large reddish spot, on which there is a double eye; on the outer field of the hind wings there are usually 3 small eyes surrounded by reddish scales. A light gray band passes from below the outer field of the hind wings. Habitats - Alpine highlands of the Caucasus. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies is observed in July. Forage plants of caterpillars are representatives of the cereal family.

Nigella manto- a rare species, the extreme eastern part of its range is located on the territory of the USSR in the Carpathians, and the main range lies in the mountainous regions of Western Europe. The wingspan of this butterfly is 35-40 mm, their general tone is brown, with an orange-brown band along the outer edge. On the front wings of males and females, 3 eyes each, on the hind wings, males have 3, and the female has one eye. Inhabits subalpine meadows at the upper forest boundary at an altitude of 1200-2000 m above sea level. m. One generation of butterflies develops per year, the flight lasts from July to early September. Caterpillars lay eggs and feed on plants from the grass family.

Nigella Japanese(Table 38) - a representative of the island group of species, lives on the islands of Sakhalin and Kunashir, and outside the USSR - in Japan. The wingspan is 35-40 mm, their general tone is dark brown. On the front wings there is a yellowish spot resembling the number 8, in the upper half of this spot there is a double eye, and in the lower half it is simple. Habitats - dark coniferous mountain forests with bamboo in the lower tier and seaside meadows. There is no exact information about the range of the species and biology.

It seems that indications that it is necessary to protect almost all representatives of the genus Nigella are quite fair, since most of them are rare, many live in the mountains. The number of such relatively wide range species as Ligea and Medusa has decreased in most of their ranges.

Sennitsa hero(Table 38) - one of the wide-range species characteristic of the forest zone of Eurasia. It is distributed in the European part, Northern Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia, the Amur region, Primorye, Sakhalin and the Kuriles, and outside the USSR - in Western Europe and Korea. This is a small butterfly (wingspan 28-30 mm) with brown wings, on the outer part of the hind wings there are 4 eyes, and on their inner part there are 7 eyes and a white stripe along the edge. It lives in wet meadows, forest glades, in floodplains of rivers and streams in deciduous and mixed forests. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight falls on May-July. Egg laying and feeding of caterpillars occur on cereals. Caterpillars hibernate.

Sennitsa Saadi(Table 38) on the territory of the USSR it is distributed in Transcaucasia, and outside our country - in Turkey and Iran. The main tone of the wings is yellow, the outer part is slightly lighter, there are 3 eyes on the front wings, and 6 small eyes on the inside of the hind wings. The outer half of the wings below with a silvery sheen. Wingspan 25-30 mm. The species is confined to deserts and semi-deserts, to arid woodlands. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies is observed in May-June. Forage plants of caterpillars are unknown. Caterpillars hibernate.

Fatua(Table 39) lives in Transcaucasia and Central Asia, outside the USSR - in the Balkans, in Asia Minor and Western Asia. Wingspan 50-60 mm. The upper part of the wings is dark brown with small dark eyes and white spots. Forewings below with two large eyes and two white spots between them. Hind wings with a wide transverse band, and in females with a number of white dots behind the band. This species lives in sparse forests, deep gorges of mountainous regions. It gives one generation a year, the flight is noted in June-August. Forage plants of caterpillars are different types of bluegrass and other cereals.

Bischoff satyr(Table 39) is found in Transcaucasia, and outside the USSR - in Turkey. Wingspan 45-50 mm, bright coloration: front wings are brown with a white band and two black spots; the hindwings are orange-yellow with a brown outer margin. It lives in the mountain forest-steppe in areas with sandy and saltwort vegetation. It gives two generations per year, flight is observed at an altitude of 200-1800 m above sea level. m. in May-June and in October. Forage plants of caterpillars are representatives of the cereal family. The caterpillar hibernates.

Talysh kraeglazka- Hyrcanian endemic, distributed within the USSR in Talysh, and outside. USSR - in Iran. The wingspan is 40-45 mm, their color is brown-brown, at the top of the front wings there is an orange spot, against which a black eye with a white center stands out. On the hind wing there are 2 eyes and 2 small dots, surrounded by a red-brown border. This butterfly is found under the canopy of gloomy subtropical forests, gives two generations a year, flight is observed in June-August. Forage plants of caterpillars are various cereals.

melanargia iranian(Table 40) is found in Talysh (Transcaucasia), and outside the USSR - in Iran. Wingspan 50-52 mm. Above the wings are creamy yellow with a black-brown outer edge, on which a row of cream spots is located, the underside of the wings is lighter than the upper. There are 6 eye spots on the outer edge of the hind wing, one such spot is also present on the top of the fore wing. This butterfly lives in the zone of upland xerophyte vegetation of Talysh. It flies in June over steep slopes overgrown with prickly astragalus. Gives one generation per year. Overwinters in the egg stage. The caterpillars that hatch in the spring feed on local species of couch grass.

melanargia transcaucasian- a representative of the same genus as the previous species, an element of the Iranian-Hircanian fauna, found in Talysh, and outside the USSR - in Iran. The wingspan is 40-50 mm, they are white or slightly yellowish with a dark dense pattern along the outer edges. Below the hind wings (closer to the root) there are 2 transverse, openwork, sinuous brown lines, and on the outer field there is an angular line and in front of it 3-4 small eyes in the anal corner and 2 closer to the front edge (similar eyes can be expressed from above wings). The butterfly lives in formations of rock-scree vegetation at the upper border of the forest, at an altitude of 1000-1500 m above sea level. m.

The flight is observed from the end of May to the beginning of July near the slopes, brightly lit by the sun and moistened, overgrown with dense flowering vegetation. Gives one generation per year. Caterpillars are green, spindle-shaped, covered with short white hairs. In July-August they feed on wild cereals. Pupation takes place in the litter.

Goshkevich's velvet- the only representative of the genus in the fauna of the USSR. It occurs in the southern part of Sakhalin, on the islands of Iturup and Kunashir, outside the USSR - in Japan and some regions of East China. Its wingspan is 60-65 mm, they are brownish-brown with spots longitudinally located along the outer edge, the middle of which is dark. On the underside of the wings there are bandages and eyes. The outer edge of the hind wings is slightly serrated. The marigold lives only where bamboo grows. On Iturup and Sakhalin it gives one generation, and on Kunashir it can give two generations per year. Flight is observed in June-August. Butterflies feed on flowering vegetation. Caterpillars feed on bamboo.

satyr steno- the only representative of the genus in the USSR, a very narrow endemic of Tajikistan. The wingspan is 50-55 mm, their upper part is black-brown (females are somewhat lighter). At the top of the front wings there is a dark eye surrounded by a white spot, and 3 more white spots; bottom wings with a striated pattern. There is a butterfly in the middle mountains at an altitude of 1400-2500 m above sea level. m. on the slopes and bottoms of shallow gorges. It gives one generation a year, flight occurs in July or August, depending on the conditions of a particular year. Butterflies feed on flowers. Forage plants for caterpillars are various species of the cereal family.

Diana(Table 40) - a rare beautiful butterfly of the genus, most of whose species live outside our country. In the USSR, it is found on the Kuril Islands and in the southwestern part of Sakhalin, abroad - in Japan, Korea, China. The wingspan is 45-50 mm, they are monochromatic, velvety, dark brown, slightly above the central cell there is a transverse oblique light stroke, which is lighter and wider on the underside of the wing. On the lower part of the wings are uneven dark lines, marginal stripes and eyes. Habitats - valley mixed forests; the butterfly can also live in the mountains up to a height of 700-800 m above sea level. m. It gives one generation a year, flight occurs in July-August.

Marigold callipteris- the only representative of the genus in the USSR, an element of the island fauna, lives in the south of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, abroad - in Japan. The main tone of the wings is dark olive brown. The outer part of the wings is darker, on the forewings there are a number of triangular light spots, and on the hindwings on these spots there are still rounded black spots. Below the wings are lighter, with uneven dark lines and bandages. On the hind wings below there are a number of eyes. Wingspan 45-50 mm. Like the previous species, this butterfly is trophically related to bamboo.

It gives one generation a year, flight is observed in July-August.

Nymphalidae family

Nymphalidae family unites in the USSR about 130 species of diurnal butterflies of medium or large size, often brightly colored. Representatives of the family are characterized by underdevelopment of the front legs, which are devoid of claws and look like brushes for cleaning the antennae. Nymphalids are found throughout the summer in meadows, forests, gardens and parks. Butterflies feed on flowers or are attracted to the flowing sap of trees. Caterpillars usually carry large branching spines on their bodies. The pupae are often angular, attached to the substrate only by the cremaster, and hang freely upside down.

Characteristic representatives of nymphalids are coal-winged, ribbon-bearing, mother-of-pearl, and checkers. Determining the types of some checkers and mother-of-pearl is difficult. Some types of nymphalids can harm cultivated plants; for example, pear polyflora damages trees and shrubs, but there are few such species.

Schrenk pourer(Table 41) - one of the archaic species of the genus in the fauna of the USSR. Distributed in the Amur and Primorye, outside our country - in China. The wingspan is 80-85 mm, their upper side is almost black in color with white spots, sometimes merging into transverse bands. Hind wings silvery or bluish-green below with orange band; bluish-silver below and tops of the forewings. Shrenk's lily lives in mixed forests, it also rises to the mountains to the belt of dark coniferous taiga. One generation of butterflies develops per year, flight is observed in July-August. Caterpillars meet in June and feed on leaves of various types of elm and hornbeam. Shrenk's lily overwinters in the egg stage.

Large overflow bottle(Table 41) is found in the center of the European part of the USSR, in the Amur region and Primorye, outside our country - in Western Europe and Asia Minor. Its wingspan is 60-65 mm, their general color is dark brown with a blue tint, there are dark bandages. On the front wings there are white oblique spots, and on the hind wings the same spots form a band; in addition, there is a dark eye with a red-brown border on the hind wings. The big lily lives in deciduous forests, it can often be seen in forest glades, along roads, streams and rivers. One generation of butterflies develops per year, flight is observed in July-August. Butterflies are attracted to wet substrates (often sit on wet ground or wet animal droppings). Caterpillars feed on the leaves of various types of willows, less often poplars. The caterpillar hibernates.

Mother-of-pearl Alexander- a rare Hyrcanian-Iranian relic species, common in Talysh and Kopetdag, and abroad - in Iran. The wingspan is 45-55 mm, their upper side is brick-red with many black spots, the terminal parts of the veins are dark, and the underside has a slightly greenish tint. There are several silvery spots of various shapes and sizes on the hind wings. This butterfly is an inhabitant of humid forests; it rises to the upper border of the forest at a height of 1000-1100 m above sea level. m. One generation of butterflies develops per year, which fly in June-July, adhering to the slopes and forest glades with shrubs and ferns, under which the endemic Caspian violet grows. Caterpillars that develop in July-August also feed on this plant. Pupae hibernate.

Mother of Pearl Penelope(Table 42) is otherwise called mother-of-pearl of rocks, since its habitats (south of Primorye, and abroad - Northern China and Korea) are confined to outcrops of rocks and stony deposits. Its wingspan reaches 75-80 mm, yellowish-red, their outer edge is slightly serrated. On their upper side there are dark rounded spots arranged in three transverse rows. The underside of the hind wings is silver-green, with 6 zigzag transverse silver bands. Habitats - mixed and deciduous forests at an altitude of no more than 700 m above sea level. m. One generation of butterflies develops per year, flight occurs in July-August. Butterflies are found on snakehead and sorbaria flowers. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the variegated violet. Caterpillars of the 3rd-4th age overwinter in the litter.

Korean mother-of-pearl, or nerippe(Table 42), found in the southwestern part of Primorye, outside the USSR - in China, Korea and Japan. The wingspan is 65-70 mm, their upper side is reddish-brown with many dark spots. Along the outer edges of the wings there is a band of kidney-shaped spots, which have a silvery tint on the underside. The underside of the hindwings is pearly green with silvery spots. The butterfly lives on treeless low ridges with xerophytic vegetation. It gives one generation a year, flight is observed in July.

Ionian polyflora(Table 44) - a representative of a monotypic genus, in the USSR it is found in Transcaucasia, outside the USSR - in Turkey. The wingspan is 40-45 mm, their color is variegated, the general tone is reddish-orange, the bases are dark. At the top of the front wings there are several small white spots, their outer edge is cut out. It lives in upland xerophyte formations, in floodplain forests, arid woodlands. Two generations of butterflies develop per year, flight is observed in April-May and June-September. A butterfly sitting on a branch with folded wings imitates a yellowed dried leaf. Butterflies fly near the lower part of the crowns of fruit trees, as well as willows, poplars, etc., which the caterpillars feed on. The pupae hibernate.

Sefiza(Table 43), like the previous species, is a representative of a monotypic genus. Distributed in the south of Primorye, abroad - in the north of India, in Thailand, Nepal, China, Korea. The wingspan is 65-70 mm, their main tone is yellow-orange, the pattern in the form of spots and stripes is dark brown (in females, the main tone of the wings is white), the veins are black. Sefiza lives in valley mixed and broad-leaved forests. One generation of butterflies develops per year, flight is observed in July-August. Caterpillars feed on Mongolian oak leaves. Overwinters, most likely, in the egg stage.

Japanese mourning house(Table 44) - the only representative of the genus in the USSR, distributed in Primorye, outside our country - in the north of India, in China, Korea, Japan. The wingspan is 60-65 mm, their main tone is dark brown with bluish-green pollination. A turquoise band runs along the front and hind wings; on the hind wings a row of dark dots runs along this band; the outer edge of the wings is wavy. It lives in valley broad-leaved forests with grassy Ussuri liana, the leaves of which caterpillars feed on. Adult insects overwinter, their flight during the season is observed twice - in May, after wintering, and at the end of summer.

Fergana desert checker(Table 44) - a narrow endemic of the Ferghana Valley. The wingspan of this butterfly is 40-45 mm, they are light, orange-yellow (slightly darker in males) with dark spots along the outer edge. There are 4-5 more black spots on the front wings. It lives on sands and desert lands, apparently preserved in extremely small quantities (there is an assumption that the species has already disappeared, since it has not been discovered over the past 40 years). Its biology is practically not studied. Apparently, one generation of butterflies develops per year, which fly in April-May.

Hakutosan mother-of-pearl distributed mainly outside the USSR (in Korea, China), in our country only one female was found in 1961 in the Kedrovaya Pad Reserve. The general color tone of its wings is red-brown above with a black pattern in the form of bands and rows of rounded and triangular spots, the wings are lighter below and there is a bright yellow band on the hind legs. Wingspan 53-58 mm. The biology of the species is almost not studied. Apparently, it is characterized by habitation in black-fir-broad-leaved liana forests. The preimaginal stages are unknown.

Golubyanka family

Golubyanka family has about 200 species of diurnal club-bearing Lepidoptera on the territory of the USSR. Its representatives are characterized by the presence of a shortened paw with developed claws on the front legs. The eyes are oblong, surrounded by rings of white scales. The coloration of the upper side of the wings is usually bright: in males of the most extensive genus Lycaena, it is usually blue, in females it is brown. Representatives of the genus Crimson have wings of shiny copper-red tones. Representatives of the genus Thecla are interesting, having a green, purple or blue color on the upper side of the wings. Their hind wings have thin, easily detached tails. Caterpillars of pigeons with a thick, flattened bottom body, retracted head, pubescent with short hairs. The pupae are short, swollen, attached to the substrate with a cremaster and a silky girdle. Caterpillars live mainly on herbaceous plants, less often on trees or shrubs, some species develop in anthills. Butterflies are usually found on the edges of deciduous forests, in clearings, meadows, etc. There are practically no serious pests among pigeons. In a systematic sense, the family has not been studied enough.

Tomares Romanova(Table 45) - one of the 5 species of the genus that need protection. It occurs in Transcaucasia and Kopetdag in mountain-steppe and mountain-desert regions. This is a small butterfly (wingspan 25-30 mm). The upper side of its wings is brown with a red-orange middle on the forewings and a spot of the same color at the outer edge of the hindwings. Underside, the wings are bright turquoise or bluish, with an intense orange pattern on the front wings, and small dark and orange spots on the hind wings. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is observed in April-May. They are found in the zone of upland xerophytic vegetation with the presence of astragalus, which caterpillars apparently feed on. It rises to the mountains up to a height of 2000 m above sea level. m. Pupae hibernate.

Callimachus(Table 45) - a representative of the same genus as the previous species. Distributed in the south of the European part of the USSR, in the Crimea, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Its wings are red-orange with brown basal part and outer edge, along the outer edge of the fringe. Wingspan 20-25 mm. It occurs in upland xerophyte associations of steppes and semi-deserts with the presence of astragalus, which caterpillars feed on. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is noted in April-May.

Tomares south(Table 45) belongs to the same genus as the previous two species. It occurs in virgin steppes and semi-deserts of the European part of the USSR, in the Crimea and Transcaucasia. Wingspan 20-22 mm. Above, they are brown-brown with large red-orange spots, and below are light brown with a greenish tint; on the front there is a large orange spot. Rows of orange spots with a dark dotted line stretch along the outer edge of the fore and hind wings. The southern tomares lives in places where astragalus grows - the main fodder plants of caterpillars. It gives one generation a year, the flight of butterflies is observed in May-June, in Transcaucasia earlier, from April.

Golubyanka steppe coal- a species associated with chalk outcrops in the virgin steppes. The range covers the southeast of the European part of the USSR, the Southern Urals, Kazakhstan, Altai. The wingspan of this medium-sized butterfly does not exceed 20-22 mm. The wings are dark brown, their lower side with rows of light spots. The biology of the species has not been studied enough. Apparently, one generation of butterflies develops per year, the flight of which is observed in May-June.

Raspberry mistafskaya- an extremely narrow-range species that lives in limited areas in our country and in Turkey. The upper part of the wings is gray-brown, the lower part is green, their span is not more than 15-20 mm. This butterfly is found in upland xerophytic associations at an altitude of 1600-1800 m above sea level. m., the flight of butterflies is observed in May. The biology of the species is practically not studied, the preimaginal stages of development are unknown.

Golubyanka Filipyeva(Table 46) - a peculiar element of the coastal fauna that lives in our country in the broad-leaved forests of Primorye. The general tone of the color of the wings of males is light purple above with a dark edging. In females, the wings are almost entirely brown on top, on the front there is a large purple spot. From below, the wings of males and females are silvery-white with dark dots, the wingspan is 25-28 mm. During the year, two generations of butterflies develop, their flight is observed in June-July and in August-September. The fodder plant of caterpillars is Chinese princepia from the Rosaceae family (a rare plant included in the Red Book of the USSR).

Blueberry meleager(Table 46) lives in the central and southern regions of the European part of the USSR, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, and outside our country - in a number of countries in Western Europe and Asia Minor. This is a small (wingspan 30-35 mm), but very beautiful butterfly. In males, the wings are bright blue with a dark outer edge, in females, blue or dark brown. The margins of the hind wings are weakly serrated in males and strongly serrated in females. Habitats - slopes of low mountains or hills (up to a height of 1500 m above sea level), forest glades and edges, banks of rivers and streams. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is observed in June-August. Caterpillars feed on plants from the legume family (astragalus, esparcet, nodule, bird-foot). Wintering eggs.

Blueberry tugai(Table 46) - an endemic of Central Asia, living in the riverine and near-aryk areas of the Amu Darya and its tributaries. The wingspan of this butterfly is 20-30 mm. The coloration of their upper side is violet-blue with a dark brown stripe along the outer edge; in females, dark brown color prevails over violet-blue; front wings with a number of rounded eyes. Tugai blueberry is found in tugai forests and thickets at an altitude of 300-700 m above sea level. m., preferring oasis valleys, glades, roadsides. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is noted in March-May.

The preimaginal stages of development have not been studied.

Golubyanka kuhistani(Table 46) - a narrow endemic of the Khazratishoh, Darvaz and Peter the Great ranges in Tajikistan. Wingspan 15-20 mm, general coloration brown. Above, the wings are uniform dark brown, and below are gray-brown with a row of dark eyes (on both wings) and a marginal row of orange spots bordered by dark (on the hind wings). This blueberry is found only in the middle mountains at an altitude of 2070-2450 m above sea level. m. in areas of tall grass meadows interspersed with thickets of rose gardens. It gives one generation a year, butterflies fly in June-July over meadow vegetation and wild rose bushes, very low. The preimaginal stages of development are unknown.

Golubyanka marcida is common in Transcaucasia. Its wingspan is 20-25 mm. Above the wings are olive-bronze with a dark outer edge, their lower side is slightly lighter, with rows of dark spots and eyes, edged with white. Marcida lives in areas with rocky-scree vegetation. Features of its biology are practically not studied: the preimaginal stages, food plants, and the timing of the flight of butterflies are unknown.

Pestrianka family

The Pestrianka family. There are about 100 species in the USSR. Butterflies are usually brightly colored, dominated by black or blue and red tones. These diurnal butterflies have a thick body. The forewings are elongated, the hindwings are usually much shorter. Antennae more or less fusiform, sometimes pectinate in males. Caterpillars are fleshy, in short soft hairs collected in bundles, have five pairs of ventral legs, the soles of which are equipped with a complex longitudinal row of hooks. Caterpillars live mainly on herbaceous plants, pupate in a dense parchment cocoon. Among the parsleys, only a few species can harm cultivated plants (the grape parsley is a specialized pest of grapes).

Motley of summer(Table 47) - an Eastern Mediterranean species found in the south of the European part of the USSR and the Caucasus, and outside the USSR - in the south of Western Europe and Asia Minor. Wingspan 20-25 mm. The general tone of the body is red, the head, chest and antennae are black. The forewings are red-orange with a dark outer edge and dark spots, the hindwings are more reddish. There is a summer motley in forb steppes, low-mountain slopes. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is observed in July-August. The oviposition and feeding of caterpillars take place on plants of the eryngium (umbrella family) and thyme (labiaceae family). Caterpillars hibernate.

Pestrianka Turkmen(Table 47) in the USSR lives on the flat territories and in the river valleys of Central Asia, and outside our country - in Iran and Afghanistan. This is a small (wingspan 20-25 mm), but very beautiful butterfly. The forewings are variegated: on a dark background there are large light yellow and red spots, the hindwings are bright red with a dark outer edge. The collar and abdomen are red; the head, antennae, and chest are dark. Typical biotopes are tugai thickets. This butterfly is found in clearings and edges, usually at an altitude of 700-800 m above sea level. m. It gives one generation a year, the flight time varies, depending on weather conditions, from May to July. Caterpillars feed on various woody and shrubby plants (tamarix, camel thorn, turanga, saltwort, saxaul, etc.). Caterpillars hibernate.

Family Epicopeid

Family Epicopeid unites large beautiful butterflies that live outside our country. On the territory of the USSR, it is represented by only one rare species included in the Red Book of the USSR.

epicopeia(Table 47) - a relic of the Tertiary period. The wingspan of this butterfly is 90-95 mm, their general tone is gray-black, the front ones sometimes have white spots and bands, and the rear ones have a double row of red spots and a tail. Epicopoeia is widespread in the south of the Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye. Found in liana broad-leaved forests. One generation of butterflies develops per year, their flight is observed in June-July. Eggs are laid in groups on plants of the elm genus. The hatched caterpillars live in communities, feed on elm leaves, pupate in a cocoon in the upper soil layer. The pupae hibernate. An interesting feature of biology should be considered mimicry (imitation) of species of the sailboat family that are inedible for birds.

Morphologically, Lepidoptera (butterflies) constitute a rather compact group of winged insects. The whole body and 4 wings are densely covered with scales and partly with hairs. Head with large compound eyes, well-developed labial palps and a long spirally twisted sucking proboscis located between them. Only toothed moths (Micropterigidae) have gnawing mouthparts. The antennae are well developed, of the most diverse structure - from filiform to pinnate or club-shaped.

The wings are usually wide, triangular, rarely narrow or even lanceolate. Most often, the forewings are somewhat wider than the hindwings, but sometimes (for example, in species of the Crambidae family) the reverse relationship is observed: the hindwings are much wider than the narrow forewings. In lower Lepidoptera (Micropterigidae, Eriocraniidae, Hepialidae), both pairs of wings are approximately the same in shape and size.

The front and rear fenders are fastened together with a special hitch. The most common frenate type of wing adhesion. In this case, the clutch is carried out with the help of frenulum (bridle) and retinanulum (hook). The bridle is represented by one or several strong setae at the base of the hind wing, while the hook is either a row of setae or a curved outgrowth at the base of the fore wing. In some groups, the phrenic coupling apparatus disappears (for example, in the club-bearing lepidoptera - Rhopalocera and cocoonworms - Lasiocampidae), and the connection of the wings is provided by the superposition of the front wing on the expanded base of the hind wing. This type of wing coupling is called aplexiform.


The wing venation of Lepidoptera is characterized by a significant (reduction of transverse veins and slight branching of the main longitudinal trunks. Within the order, 2 types of wing venation are distinguished.


The scales on the wings are differently colored and often form a rather complex pattern. Structural coloration (spots with a metallic sheen) is often observed. A fringe stretches along the outer and posterior edge of the wings, consisting of several rows of scales and hairs.


In the thoracic region, the mesothorax is most developed). The prothorax on the sides of the tergite bears lobe-like appendages - patagia. In the mesothorax, similar formations are located above the base of the forewings and are called teguli. The legs are running, often with spurs on the shins. In some Lepidoptera, the front legs are strongly (reduced, hidden in the hairline), and butterflies move on four legs.


Diurnal Lepidoptera, which form the natural Rhopalocera group, raise and fold their wings over their backs when at rest. In most other butterflies, both pairs of wings are retracted, folded and stretched along the abdomen; only some moths (Geometridae) and peacock-eyes (Attacidae) do not fold their wings, but keep them outstretched to the sides.

The abdomen consists of 9 segments. The last segment is drastically modified, especially in males, in which it forms the copulatory apparatus. The structural features of the copulatory apparatus are widely used in taxonomy, making it possible to clearly distinguish even closely related species. In females, the last segments of the abdomen (usually from the seventh to the ninth) are transformed into a telescopic soft ovipositor. In most cases, the reproductive system of female butterflies opens outwards with two genital openings. One of them, terminal, serves only for laying eggs, the second, located either at the end of the seventh segment or on the eighth segment, is the copulatory opening. This type of reproductive system is called ditrizic and is characteristic of most Lepidoptera. However, in the archaic families (Micropterigidae, Eriocraniidae, etc.), the reproductive system is built according to the so-called monotrician type, in which there is only one genital opening. Finally, in the family Hepialidae, although two genital openings are developed, both of them occupy a terminal position.

A characteristic feature of butterflies is the development in many of them of cryptic devices that provide them with protection from predators. Complex patterns on the wings imitate individual elements of the environment. So, in some scoops (Nootuidae), sitting on tree trunks during the day, the front wings are similar in color and pattern to lichens. The hindwings, covered from above by the forewings, are not visible and do not have a complex pattern. The same is observed in dendrophilic moths (Geometridae), in which the image of the structure of the cortex is often reproduced on the forewings. In some nymphalids (Nymphalidae), when the wings are folded, their underside turns out to be outside. It is this side that is painted in many of them in dark brown tones, which, combined with the indented contour of the wings, creates a complete illusion of last year's dried leaf.


Often, in parallel with the cryptic coloration, butterflies have patterns with bright, catchy spots. Almost all nymphalids, which have a cryptic pattern on the underside of their wings, are painted extremely effectively on top. Multi-color bright coloration is used by butterflies to recognize individuals of their own species. In specklings (Zygaenidae), which have poisonous hemolymph, the bright contrasting coloration of the wings and abdomen performs a different signal function, indicating their inedibility for predators. Some diurnal Lepidoptera show a remarkable resemblance to well-protected insects such as stinging Hymenoptera. In glass-bottles (Sesiidae), this similarity is achieved by the color of the abdomen and the transparency of narrow wings, on which the scales are almost completely reduced.


The main food source for butterflies is nectar. Flying from flower to flower when feeding, butterflies, along with Diptera, Hymenoptera and beetles, actively participate in pollination of plants. It is noteworthy that butterflies, having a rather long proboscis, visit flowers not only with open sources of nectar, but also with nectar deeply hidden in the spurs of flowers or at the bottom of the tubular corolla and, accordingly, inaccessible to other insects. The flowers of many carnations and orchids, due to their morphology, can only be pollinated by Lepidoptera. Some tropical orchids have special adaptations for the pollination of flowers by Lepidoptera.

In addition to nectar, many butterflies readily absorb the juice flowing from injured trees or fruits. On a hot summer day, large concentrations of whites (Pieridae) can be observed near puddles. Other Lepidoptera also fly here, attracted by water. Many diurnal butterflies often feed on the excrement of vertebrates. Independently, in the most diverse families of Lepidoptera, aphagia occurs: butterflies do not feed and their proboscis undergoes reduction. Among insects with complete metamorphosis, Lepidoptera are the only large group in which the transition to aphagia is so often observed.


Most Lepidoptera are nocturnal and only a few groups are active during the day. Among the latter, the leading place belongs to the mace, or diurnal Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera) - a group that is extremely abundant in the tropics. The diurnal way of life is also characteristic of brightly colored moths (Zygaenidae) and glassworts (Sesiidae). Among other families of Lepidoptera of the Palearctic fauna, species with diurnal activity occur sporadically. Some moths (Noctuidae), moths (Geometridae), moths (Pyralidae), leafworms (Tortricidae) are active around the clock, but during the day these butterflies are most often active in cloudy weather or in shaded places.

Lepidoptera are insects with a pronounced sexual dimorphism, which is manifested in the structure of the antennae and the coupling apparatus of the wings, in the nature of the wing pattern, and in the degree of pubescence of the abdomen. The most demonstrative sexual dimorphism in wing pattern is observed in both diurnal and nocturnal Lepidoptera. A striking example of sexual differences is the coloring of the wings of the gypsy moth (Ocneria dispar L.). Females of this species are large, with light, almost white wings; they differ sharply from small and slender males with a complex brown pattern on the wings. The antennae of female gypsy moths are slightly comb-like, those of males are strongly comb-like. Sexual dimorphism in the color of the wings can be expressed in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum and is invisible to the human eye. So, absolutely identical white butterflies of hawthorn (Aporia crataegi L.) are actually dimorphic, and males differ from females in the ultraviolet pattern.

The extreme expression of sexual dimorphism can be bagworms (Psychidae), some moths (Geometridae), certain types of wavelets (Lymantriidae) and leafworms (Tortricidae), in which females, unlike males, do not have wings, or have their rudiments. Females of many Lepidoptera emit odorous substances (pheromones), the smells of which the males capture with olfactory receptors. The sensitivity of the receptors is quite high, and males pick up the smell of a female from a distance of several tens, and sometimes hundreds of meters.

to be continued...

The structure and behavior of butterflies

We often meet butterflies in nature and even at home. Wherever we are - in the forest, garden, fields and meadows, they attract our attention from early spring to late autumn. And who has not seen moths at home? It's also a butterfly. About 150,000 species of butterflies are known. They are combined into a detachment of butterflies, or Lepidoptera; they are easy to distinguish from other insects, such as flies.

What are the common features characteristic of the entire order of butterflies? First of all, this the presence of scales on their wings (hence the name of their unit). There are also scales all over their body. Scales are modified hairs. They are often differently colored. Of these, bizarre and complex patterns are formed on the wings of butterflies.

Another common feature in butterflies is sucking mouthparts, that is, non-segmented, at rest spirally curled, long tubular proboscis. The lower jaws and lower lip take part in its formation. Butterflies have no upper jaws. While eating, the butterfly spreads its long proboscis, plunging it deep into the flower, and sucks out the nectar. As the main source of food, adult Lepidoptera use nectar, therefore they are among the main pollinators of flowering plants.

Many adult butterflies are active during the day and rest at night. These are diurnal butterflies, for example lemongrass, cabbage, mourning. Another large group of butterflies flies at dusk and at night. These are nocturnal butterflies, such as moths.

Butterfly larvae, called caterpillars, have an elongated jointed body. Their oral apparatus, unlike adults, is gnawing. Caterpillars have silk glands in their mouths that secrete a secret that hardens in air into silk threads. Three pairs of segmented legs are located on their chest, but the larvae use them not for crawling, but for grabbing food while eating. For movement, the caterpillars use non-segmented fleshy abdominal false legs, unlike the jointed legs of adult insects and armed with small hooks on the soles. The vast majority of caterpillars feed on plant foods, but they are very diverse in their lifestyle. There are open-living caterpillars that live in the soil, leafworms, spinners, codling moths and others. Many of them are those that bring tangible damage to the national economy. Take, for example, cabbage white, or cabbage.

Cabbage, as its name suggests, is related to cabbages and other cruciferous plants. Its caterpillars, feeding on cabbage leaves, damage them. This butterfly is called whitefish because of the powdery-white color of the upper side of the wings. The front pair of wings of the cabbage with dark corners on the upper side. The female has two more dark spots on the wings; the male does not have such spots.

Pattern: cabbage white or cabbage

In spring and summer, cabbage flies in gardens and fields. When a butterfly sits on a cabbage or other plant, it folds its wings behind its back and becomes invisible: the underside of the cabbage wings is greenish-yellow, giving the butterfly a resemblance to a leaf.

Cabbage lays eggs on cabbage leaves and on other cultivated plants and weeds from the cruciferous family. Caterpillars emerge from the eggs. They are brightly colored: yellow when young, and as they grow they become bluish-green, with yellow and black rows of dots. At first, the caterpillars sit and feed on the underside of the leaves, then they move to their upper side, where they keep crowded. Their coloration is bright, warning that they are poisonous. Having tried once, the birds no longer touch them.

A grown caterpillar crawls onto a tree, fence or wall. Here she sheds her skin and turns into a chrysalis. The butterfly emerging from the chrysalis has crumpled soft wings. She sits in one place for several hours until her wings spread and get stronger.

Butterfly variety

Pattern: Variety of butterflies

1 - common swallowtail; 2 - dawn; 3 - mourning house; 4 - peat jaundice; 5 - forest pigeon, female; 6 - wood pigeon, male; 7 - Maak's swallowtail; B - admiral; 9 - daytime peacock eye; 10 - large mother-of-pearl; 11 - urticaria; 12 - flower satyr; 13 - wine hawk; 14 - red nocturnal peacock eye; 15 - buckthorn, male; 16 - buckthorn, female; 17 - she-bear Kaya; 18 - poplar sash.

Manure and tears: the usual menu. Butterflies not only drink the nectar of flowers. The diet of many of them includes such unexpected and repulsive "dishes" as droppings, urine and decaying animal meat. To get the sodium they need, they drink reptile tears. This is used by scientists in their work with butterflies. For example, to attract the tropical checkered skipper butterfly, researchers spit on cloth and place it on the ground. Butterflies are attracted to a saliva-soaked piece of cloth because it reminds them of bird droppings, and when they crouch, they remain because saliva contains sodium and other nutrients. This method of attracting butterflies for research is called the Arenholz method.

Predatory and carnivorous. Don't worry, you're not in danger of being attacked by man-eating butterflies. But some caterpillars do kill other individuals to keep themselves alive. Take Feniseca tarquinius, which lives in North America: it lays its eggs in a colony of aphids, and the caterpillars grow, devouring aphids and sometimes protecting themselves with the corpses of dead victims. No wonder Feniseca tarquinius is popularly called harvester in English, that is, “reaper”, “harvester”.

Gourmet butterflies. Butterflies are extremely picky in matters of gastronomy. Let's say you have created a garden full of fragrant flowers, and you are waiting for beautiful butterflies to fill it. And now they are already fluttering over the flowers, but wait! - if you don't take care to choose the right plants, many of them will not be able to lay eggs, and you will lure them into a genetic dead end. Caterpillars of some butterflies are picky eaters of only one type of plant. For example, the Plebejus melissa samuelis caterpillar feeds only on wild blue lupins. And the caterpillar of the luxurious monarch danaid consumes exclusively the genus of plants of the butterflies, while Callophrys gryneus chooses for itself the Atlantic white cedar - and nothing more.

"Host plant" - this is how all these plants are called, because they serve as the main habitat and source of nutrition for the organism. As soon as the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, its diet expands, and it can choose other places of residence for itself. But if she does not find her host plant at the right time, she will not be able to lay eggs.

The biggest and smallest. Butterflies can be just huge. For example, the wingspan of Queen Alexandra's birdwing can reach 27 cm. In contrast, the maximum wingspan of Brephidium exilis, a species of the pigeon family, is no more than 2 cm. Imagine such a crumb in your palm - you can easily miss it.

Butterflies are transparent. We are used to the fact that the wings of butterflies seem to be painted with a bright and bizarre pattern. However, in some species, the color of the wings is so desaturated that they appear transparent. Quite a lot of butterflies are gray or plain brown. These views are beautiful in their minimalism if you like restrained and muted tones. But some butterflies are really transparent. Yes, the tissue between the veins of their wings is devoid of colored scales, and light easily passes through the wings. As such, for example, Greta oto is a species of butterflies from the Nymphalidae family.

ultraviolet wings. Yes, the vision of butterflies is much inferior to human: they are not able to distinguish those details that we distinguish. But they see in a different color spectrum. For example, they see ultraviolet light. Many butterflies have ultraviolet among the primary colors of their wings, but we never see it.

Wings are the head of everything. Butterflies have someone to fear: birds, lizards, spiders and other creatures love to hunt them. Choosing between two evils, the butterfly would rather sacrifice its wings than its head: even if the predator bites off a significant part of the wings, the butterfly will still be able to fly. Without a head, of course, this will not happen. How to make the enemy attack the wings? Only by deceiving him, luring him with a false, false head located on the wings.

Poison butterflies. Some butterflies strike the enemy with the classic medieval method: with the help of poisons. No, this is not a poison that the butterflies themselves secrete - they pick it up in plants and use it against their enemy at the right time. For example, the monarch butterfly uses milkweed toxins to be, say, less appetizing to birds.

Butterflies and gas attack. Butterflies wield another weapon. So, the caterpillars of butterflies of the family of sailboats and corydalis have a special gland, osmetrium (or forked gland). It looks like orange "horns". In the event of an approaching danger, the caterpillar pushes them out of the body, while releasing an extremely unpleasant odor that repels spiders, and can even kill ants and praying mantises.

Of all insects, butterflies are the most famous. There is hardly a person in the world who would not admire them in the same way as they admire beautiful flowers. No wonder in ancient Rome they believed that butterflies came from flowers that had come off plants. In all corners of the world, there are amateurs who collect butterflies with as much passion as other collectors collect works of art.

The beauty of a butterfly is in its wings, in their various colors. At the same time, the wings are the most important systematic feature of the detachment: they are covered with scales, the structure and location of which determine the bizarre coloration. That's why butterflies are called Lepidoptera. Scales are modified hairs. This is easy to verify if you carefully consider the scaly cover of the butterfly Apollo(Parnassius Apollo). Along the edge of the wing there are very narrow scales, almost hairs, closer to the middle they are expanded, but their ends are sharp, and, finally, even closer to the base of the wing, there are wide scales in the form of a flattened, hollow pouch attached to the wing by means of a thin short stalk ( Fig. 318).

The scales are located on the wing in pranile rows across the wing: the ends of the scales face the lateral edge of the wing, and their bases are covered in a tiled manner by the ends of the previous row. The color of the scale depends on the pigment grains in it; its outer surface is ribbed. In addition to these pigment scales, many species, especially tropical ones, whose wings are distinguished by iridescent metallic coloration, have scales of a different type - optical.

There is no pigment in such flakes, and the characteristic metallic coloration arises due to the decomposition of the white sunbeam into separate colored rays of the spectrum when it passes through optical flakes. This decomposition of the rays is achieved by their refraction in the sculpture of the scales, which causes a change in color when the direction in which the rays fall is changed. Of particular interest are odorous scales, or androconia, found predominantly in males of some species of butterflies. These are modified scales or hairs associated with special glands that secrete an odorous secret. Androconia are located on different parts of the body - on the legs, wings, on the abdomen. The smell they spread serves as a bait for the female, thus ensuring the convergence of the sexes; often it is pleasant, reminiscent in some cases of the aroma of vanilla, mignonette, strawberry, etc., but sometimes it can also be unpleasant, for example, like the smell of mold. It should be emphasized that for each species of butterflies, both the shape and the optical and chemical properties of the scales on the wings are characteristic. In rare cases, the scales on the wings are absent, and then the wings appear completely transparent, as is the case with glass cases.

Usually, all four wings are developed in Lepidoptera; however, in females of some species, wings may be underdeveloped or absent altogether. The forewings are always larger than the hindwings. In many species, both pairs of wings interlock with each other with the help of a special hook, or "bridle", which is a chitinous bristle or a bundle of hairs, attached at one end to the upper side of the anterior edge of the hind wing, and with the other end included in a pocket-like appendage on the underside of the anterior wing. wing. There may be other forms of scoring mechanisms connecting the front and rear fenders.

No less characteristic feature than the structure of the wings and the scales covering them are the mouth organs of butterflies (Fig. 320). In the vast majority of cases, they are represented by a soft proboscis that can coil and unfold like a clock spring. The basis of this oral apparatus is made up of strongly elongated inner lobes of the lower jaws, which form the flaps of the proboscis. The upper jaws are absent or represented by small tubercles; The lower lip also underwent a strong reduction, although its palps are well developed and consist of 3 segments. The proboscis of a butterfly is very elastic and mobile; it is perfectly adapted to feeding on liquid food, which in most cases is the nectar of flowers. The length of the proboscis of one or another species usually corresponds to the depth of the nectar in those flowers that the butterflies visit. So, in Madagascar, one interesting orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale) grows with a corolla depth of 25-30 cm. It is pollinated long-proboscis hawk hawk(Macrosila morgani), which has a proboscis about 35 cm long. In some cases, the flowing sap of trees, liquid excrement of aphids and other sugary substances can serve as a source of liquid food for Lepidoptera. In some butterflies that do not feed, the proboscis may be underdeveloped or completely absent ( fine worms, some moths and etc.).

Flying from flower to flower, butterflies can carry pollen on themselves and thereby contribute to the cross-pollination of plants. A very peculiar relationship developed among the South American yucca moth(Pronuba juccasella), belonging to the Prodoxidae family, and yucca (Jucca filamentosa). Moth caterpillars feed on the ovaries of yucca flowers that develop after fertilization, which is unable to self-pollinate. The transfer of pollen is carried out by the female moth; with the help of tentacles, she collects wet pollen from the stamens of the yucca and flies to another flower. Here she lays an egg inside the pistil and then places a pollen ball on the stigma of this pistil. Thus, the setting of yucca seeds depends entirely on the female moth; at the same time, some of the developing seeds are destroyed by the caterpillars of this pollinator. Yuccas do not bloom every year; it is curious that butterflies may not fly out annually, since their pupae are capable of a long stay in a dormant state, sometimes lasting for several years.

Nectar is collected by various species of Lepidoptera at different times of the day. Some of them fly during the day, others at dusk or even at night.

The daily lifestyle is characteristic primarily for the so-called diurnal or club butterflies. This is the name of a complex (series) of Lepidoptera families, distinguished by club-shaped antennae ( sailboats, whites, nymphalids, heliconids, morphids, pigeons). They have a strong and long proboscis, with which they suck nectar from flowers. The wings are wide, raised up at rest (with rare exceptions), there is no hook on the hind wings.

The amazing colors of the wings of diurnal butterflies are admired; their upper side is usually colored brightly and variegated, while the colors of the lower side often imitate the color and pattern of bark, leaves, etc. The famous Swede Carl Linnaeus, the creator of the first scientific taxonomy of animals, was especially fond of diurnal butterflies. Giving names to the species he described, he looked for them in the myths of classical antiquity. This has become a tradition among lepidopterologists, that is, scientists who study butterflies. Therefore, so often among the names of diurnal butterflies there are names of ancient Greek gods and favorite heroes: Apollo, Cyprida, Io, Hector, Menelaus, Laertes. They seem to symbolize everything bright, strong and beautiful that pleases and delights a person.

The biological significance of the bright, variegated colors of the upper side of the wings, so often observed in club butterflies, especially in nymphalides. Their main significance is to recognize individuals of their own species at a great distance. Observations show that males and females of such motley-colored forms are attracted to each other from a distance by coloring, and near there is a final recognition by the smell emitted by androconia. To check, they cut off the wings of live mother-of-pearl and glued the wings of whites in their place. The operated specimens were exhibited on the lawn and whites, mostly males, soon flew to them. It was possible to lure male butterflies to artificial images of females of their species.

If the upper side of the wings of nymphalids is always brightly colored, then a different type of coloration is characteristic of their lower side: they are, as a rule, critical, i.e., protective. In this regard, two types of wing folding are of interest, the widespread unymphalids, as well as in other families of diurnal butterflies. In the first case, the butterfly, being in a resting position, pushes the front wings forward so that their lower surface, which has a protective color, is open almost throughout (Fig. 322, 1). Wings are folded according to this type, for example, corner wings C-white(Polygonia C-album). Her upper side is brown-yellow with dark spots and an outer border; the underside is grey-brown with a white "C" on the hindwings, which is how it got its name. A motionless butterfly is hardly noticeable also due to the irregular angular contour of the wings.

Other types such as admiral and burdock, hide the front wings between the hind wings so that only their tips are visible (Fig. 322, 2). In this case, two types of coloration are expressed on the lower surface of the wings: that part of the forewings, which is hidden at rest, is brightly colored, the rest of the lower surface of the wings is clearly cryptic in nature.

In many nymphalids, especially in tropical forms, an imitative resemblance to leaves is observed when the characteristic color of dry or living leaves, their contours and specific venation are reproduced. A classic example in this respect is the Indo-Malay leafy butterflies of the genus Callima(Kallima). The upper side of the wings of the callima is colored brightly and variegated, and the lower side of its color and pattern resembles a dry leaf. The resemblance to a leaf in a sitting butterfly is enhanced by the fact that its upper wing is pointed at the top, and the lower wing has a small tail imitating the petiole of a leaf (Table 16, 4).

In all these cases, the variegation of coloration depends on the distribution of pigments in the scales covering the wing. Numerous experiments have shown that the deposition of pigments depends to a large extent on the temperature factor affecting the pupae. When raising pupae at low temperatures (from 0 to 10 ° C), adult forms can be obtained with a strong development of the dark melanin pigment. Yes, at mourners when exposed to low temperatures, its pupa darkens the general background of the wing, blue spots decrease, and melanin in the form of black dots is deposited along the entire yellow strip along the outer edge of the wings. It is quite characteristic that similar changes are caused by keeping the pupae of the mourning house at a high temperature, about 35-37 ° C. This explains the different coloration of the same species in different climatic conditions. In this regard, the constant seasonal variability in changeable motley(Arasch nialevana), which develops in two generations, differing from each other in color. In the spring generation, the wings are rufous-red, with a complex black pattern and white spots at the top of the forewing; the summer generation has brownish-black wings with white or yellowish-white spots on the forewing and the same band on the hindwing.

Among tropical species are especially beautiful and peculiar morphides(Morphidae), represented by only one genus (Morpho). These are large butterflies, reaching a wingspan of 15-18 cm. The upper side of their wings is painted in blue or blue, strongly iridescent metallic colors. This coloration depends on the fact that the wing is covered with optic scales, and the lower part of the optic plates is pigmented; the pigment does not transmit light and thereby gives a greater brightness to the interference color of the ribs. In males, for example, in 45 Morpho cypris shown on the color table, the luster of the wing is extremely strong and gives the impression of polished metal. In combination with the large size of morphids, this leads to the fact that in bright sunlight each wing stroke is visible for a third of a kilometer. Morphids are among the most visible insects that inhabit the rainforests of the Amazon. Especially a lot of them on clearings and sunlit roads. They fly at high altitude; some of them do not descend to the ground closer than 6 m at all.

In some cases, diurnal butterflies have brightly colored upper and lower sides of the wings. Such a color is usually combined with the inedibility of the organism possessing it, which is why it was called warning. Warning coloration is characteristic, for example, of heliconids. Heliconides(Heliconidae) is a peculiar family of endemic mace butterflies, which includes about 150 species distributed in South America. Their wings are very variegated, mostly orange with a contrasting pattern of black and yellow stripes and spots (Table 17). Many of the heliconids have a nasty smell and unpleasant taste, and therefore they are not touched by birds. Butterflies abound under the shade of the lush Amazon rainforest. By their behavior and habits, they seem to demonstrate their invulnerability. Their flight is slow, heavy; they always keep in swarms, and not only in the air during flight, but also at rest, when the swarm descends into the crown of a tree. The strong smell emanating from the accumulation of resting butterflies largely protects them from enemies.

The famous English scientist Bethe, studying the behavior of heliconids, discovered a curious phenomenon called mimicry. Mimicry refers to the similarities in color, shape, and behavior between two or more insect species. Characteristically, mimicking species always have a bright warning (demonstration) coloration.

In butterflies, mimicry is expressed in the fact that some of the mimic species are inedible, while others are devoid of protective properties and only “imitate” their protected models. Such imitators, for which heliconids serve as models, are white butterflies - dysmorphia(Dismorphia astynome) and perhybris(Reghybris pyrrha). They stay in flocks of flying and resting heliconids, imitating them in the shape and color of their wings, as well as in flight.

Later it turned out that mimicry is quite widespread among Lepidoptera, and the forms of its manifestation are different. So, in one of the African species sailboats(Papilio dardanus) sexual dimorphism is well expressed: males have tails on the hind wings, the general color of the wings is yellow with dark stripes; in females, the hindwings are rounded, without tails. At the same time, females are represented by several forms that are very different from each other (Fig. 323); each form reproduces a certain type of coloring characteristic of a certain type of inedible butterfly danaid(Danaidae). The form hippocoon has blue spots on both wings, like its model (Atauris niavius); the sepea form has blue spots only on the forewings, while the bases of the hindwings are yellow, as in another model (Amauris echeria).

Peculiar manifestation of mimicry in butterflies glassware(Aegeriidae), which in their appearance rather resemble Hymenoptera or large flies than Lepidoptera. This imitative similarity is achieved due to the characteristic structure of the wings and the general contours of the body. The wings of the glass-cases are almost devoid of a cover of scales and therefore transparent, vitreous; the hindwings are shorter than the forewings, and the scales on them are concentrated only on the veins. The body is rather slender, with a long belly protruding far behind the wings; antennae filiform or slightly thickened in middle.

Unlike butterflies that fly during the day, species that feed on nectar at dusk or at night have a different type of coloration. The upper side of their forewings is always colored to match the substrate they sit on during the day. At rest, the front wings are folded along the back in a roof-like manner or like a flat triangle, covering the lower wings and abdomen. A motionless butterfly becomes invisible.

The color of the hind wings is most often monophonic, soft. However, in some cases, for example, in scoops, tapeworms, bears and hawks, it can be bright, warning. Yes, at red ribbon(Catocala nupta, pl. 16, 11) hindwings are brick-red with black bands; yellow(C. fulminea, tab. 16, 10) - ocher-yellow with a black median band and the same outer edge, in blue(S. fraxini, pl. 16, 9) - blue with a black border and a median band. At common dipper(Arctia caja, pl. 16, 12) hind wings are red with large dark blue, almost black spots; abdomen with black spots.

In a calm state during the day, butterflies sit on tree trunks with their wings folded and therefore invisible; when threatened with an attack, they spread their front wings and display a deterrent signal in the form of brightly colored lower wings, and sometimes the abdomen.

A distinctive protective coloration silver hole(Phalerabucephala). Its front wings are silvery white with a large yellow spot in the outer corner; hind wings grey. During the day, the butterfly sits on a tree with folded roof-like wings. At this time, it can be mistaken for a piece of a branch. At the same time, yellow spots on the slightly concave ends of the forewings reproduce the appearance of bare wood (Tables 16, 14).

Lepidoptera are insects with complete metamorphosis. Their eggs are very diverse in shape, usually colored, the shell often has a complex structure. Butterfly larvae are called caterpillars (Table 46, 1-16).

In most cases they are worm-shaped; the body consists of a head, 3 thoracic and 10 abdominal rings. Unlike adult Lepidoptera, their caterpillars always have gnawing mouthparts. In addition to three pairs of thoracic legs, the caterpillars also have the so-called "false" or "abdominal" legs, which can be up to 5 pairs; they are usually placed on the third-sixth and ninth abdominal segments. The ventral legs are not dissected, and their soles are covered with chitinous hooks. A specific physiological feature of caterpillars is the presence of a pair of tubular spinning, or silk-secreting, glands, which open with a common channel on the lower lip. They are altered salivary glands in which the main function of salivation has been replaced by silk production. The secretions of these glands quickly harden in the air, forming a silk thread, with the help of which some caterpillars fasten leaves rolled into a tube, others hang in the air, descending from a branch, and others surround themselves and the branches on which they sit with cobwebs. Finally, in caterpillars, silk thread is used to build a cocoon, inside which pupation takes place.

According to the way of life of caterpillars can be divided into two groups:

1) free-living caterpillars that live more or less openly on plants;

2) caterpillars leading a hidden lifestyle. Free-living caterpillars live on both herbaceous and woody plants, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruits.

The transition to a hidden lifestyle is living in portable cases, which the caterpillars weave from silky threads. Moving through the plant, the caterpillars carry their cover on themselves, hiding in it in case of danger. This is what caterpillars do, for example. butterflies. The same intermediate position between these two biological groups is occupied by sheeters. This is the name of caterpillars that build shelters from leaves, rolling them up and fastening the rolled parts with a silky thread. When building such a shelter, one or more leaves are used. Many caterpillars are characterized by rolling the leaf into a cigar-shaped tube.

Caterpillars living in "societies" usually arrange special, sometimes complex nests, braiding branches, leaves and other parts of plants with cobwebs. Large web nests form caterpillars apple ermine moth(Hyponomeuta malinellus), which are dangerous pests of gardens and forests. Caterpillars live in large groups in spider web nests. marching silkworms(family Eupterotidae), which are distinguished by their peculiar behavior: in search of food, they go “hiking” in orderly rows, following each other in single file. So behave, for example, caterpillars oak marching silkworm(Thaumetopoea processionea, pl. 46, 2), occasionally found in the forests of southwestern Ukraine.

A butterfly of this species flies in August and September and lays eggs on oak bark in a bunch of several straight rows, 100-200 pieces in a bunch. The eggs overwinter, protected by a dense transparent film formed from the secretions of the female. Caterpillars hatched from eggs in May stay in groups in a web nest. When the leaves on the tree are already heavily eaten, they descend from it and crawl along the ground in search of food, always in a certain order: one caterpillar crawls in front, another follows, touching it with its hairs. In the middle of the column, the number of caterpillars in a row increases, first by 2, then by 3-4 caterpillars crawl side by side. Towards the end, the column narrows again. In July - early August, pupation occurs right there in the nest, and each caterpillar weaves an oval cocoon for itself. Butterflies fly out after two or three weeks.

All caterpillars that live inside various plant organs lead a hidden lifestyle. These include miners, codling moths, borers and gall formers.

Miners are called caterpillars that live inside leaves and their petioles and lay internal passages inside chlorophyll-bearing tissues - mines. Some miners do not eat out the entire contents of the leaf, but are limited to either individual sections of the parenchyma, or the epidermis.

The shape of the mines is very different. In some cases, a mine is laid in the form of a rounded spot (spotted mine); sometimes such a spot gives lateral processes, resembling a star (star-shaped mines). In other cases, the mine has the form of a gallery, very narrow at the base, but then greatly expanding at the top (tube-shaped mine). There are also narrow long mines, but strongly winding (serpentine mines) or spirally twisted (spiral mines).

When mining caterpillars live in groups inside a leaf, so-called swollen mines can occur. Yes, caterpillars lilac moth(Caloptilia syringella), which belongs to a special moth family(Gracillariidae), at first live several pieces together in one common mine, which has the shape of a wide spot, which can occupy most of the leaf. These mines are strongly swollen from the gases accumulating in them. The epidermis covering the mine quickly turns yellow. Later, the caterpillars emerge from their mines and, skeletonizing the leaves, twist them into tubes. Before pupation, they go into the ground. There are two generations during the summer; the chrysalis hibernates at the lilac moth.

Caterpillars - codling moth live inside the fruits of various plants. Some of them damage the pulp of fruits, others feed exclusively on seeds. Caterpillars - drillers live in the stems of herbaceous plants or inside the branches and trunks of shrubs and trees. Among the drillers are especially characteristic glassware(family Aegeriidae) and woodworms(Cossidae).

Most types of glassware develop in the trunks of woody plants, causing them serious damage. Among the widespread forest pests in Europe, it is necessary to include large poplar glass(Aegeria apiformis).

Females of this species lay their eggs on the lower part of tree trunks, mainly poplars. Caterpillars (Tables 46, 14) develop over the course of two years, feeding on wood in which they make passages. In the third year in spring, they pupate in a cradle under the bark in a special dense cocoon of sawdust and excrement. Before the butterfly emerges, the chrysalis 2/3 protrudes from the flight hole; even after the departure of the butterfly, the pupal skin continues to maintain this position.

Some types of wood borers are also dangerous for forestry, for example odoriferous woodworm(Cossus cossus) and corrosive woodweed(Zeuzera pyrina). The female of the fragrant wood borer lays her eggs in groups of 20-70 pieces in bark cracks on the trunks of willows, poplars, alders, elms and oaks. Development takes place over two years. Young caterpillars bite under the bark, where they make a general course of irregular shape, in which they hibernate. The next year, the caterpillars disperse and each of them, delving into the wood, gnaws a wide, mostly longitudinal course in it. Caterpillars are 16-legged, with a dark brown head and a pinkish body, the shade of which changes during life; by the end of development they reach a length of 10-12 cm (Table 46, 15). The woodworm is called odorous because the caterpillar emits a sharp, unpleasant smell of wood alcohol; the wood damaged by it spreads the same smell. Although the odorous borer most often colonizes old and diseased trees, it can also be dangerous for healthy trees in cases where it forms small but stable perennial foci.

Caterpillars of the corrosive woodworm (Tables 46, 16) are polyphagous: they damage more than 70 tree species, including ash, elm, apple, pear, etc. The females of this species lay eggs one at a time on the tops of young shoots, in the leaf axils and kidneys. After leaving the egg, the caterpillars bite into the young shoots and petioles of the leaves, causing the damaged leaves to dry out and fall off prematurely. By autumn, the caterpillars move to young branches, in the wood of which they gnaw out passages. Here they winter. The next year, after overwintering, the caterpillars resume their harmful activities and, as they grow, descend lower and lower along the tree. They spend the second wintering in the passages laid in the middle and lower parts of the tree. Pupation occurs in May-June, the caterpillar pupates without a cocoon in the upper part of the passage where it hibernated.

There are very few true gall formers among caterpillars. Most of them are known from leaf roller families(Tortricidae). The damage they cause most often consists in ugly swellings of those organs of the plant, inside which the development of caterpillars occurs. Laspeyresia servillana causes blisters in willow stems, and Epiblema lacteana develops in thickened stems of sagebrush.

The life of Lepidoptera is very peculiar, the caterpillars of which develop in the aquatic environment. In the middle of summer, along the banks of reservoirs, the surface of which is covered with leaves of white lilies and yellow water lilies, you can often find a small butterfly with beautiful yellowish wings, the complex pattern of which consists of strongly curved brown lines and irregular whitish spots located between them (Fig. 324). This is water lily, or swamp, moth(Hydrocampa nymphaeata). She lays her eggs on the leaves of various aquatic plants, from their lower side. The greenish larvae hatching from the eggs first mine plant tissues. At this time, their spiracles are greatly reduced, so breathing occurs through the surface of the skin. After molting, the caterpillar leaves a mine and builds a special cover from cut pieces of pondweed and water lilies, while breathing remains the same. The caterpillar hibernates in this cap, and in the spring leaves it and builds a new cap. To do this, she gnaws two oval or round pieces from the sheet with her jaws, which she fastens on the sides with a cobweb. Such a case is always filled with air; at this stage, the caterpillar has fully developed stigmas and tracheae, and it now breathes atmospheric air. Crawling over aquatic plants, the caterpillar carries the sheath with it in the same way as caddisflies do. It feeds by scraping the skin and pulp from the leaves of aquatic plants with its jaws. Pupation takes place in the cap.

A gray caterpillar also lives in covers under water. duckweed moth(Cataclysta lemnata), but the building material in this case is duckweed, the individual plates of which are fastened with cobwebs. Before pupation, the caterpillar usually leaves its case and crawls into some kind of reed or reed tube.

The greenish caterpillar is even more adapted to aquatic life. body-cut moth(Ragaropukh stratiotata), found on the leaves of telorez, pondweed, hornwort and other plants. She lives exclusively under water in the wrong cases or without cases at all. It breathes with tracheal gills, which, in the form of long soft branched outgrowths, are located in 5 pairs almost on each segment.

At underwater moth(Acentropus niveus) females are found in two forms - winged and almost wingless, in which only small rudiments of wings are preserved. Wingless females lay their eggs underwater. The olive-green caterpillar, living on the surface of the leaves of pondweed and other plants, makes itself a small tire from a bit that has been bitten off. Pupation occurs in a cocoon attached to the stems or the lower surface of the leaf (Fig. 326).

In close connection with the way of life of caterpillars are the shape and color of their body. Caterpillars that lead an open lifestyle often have a cryptic coloration that harmonizes well with the surrounding background. The effectiveness of protective coloring can be increased due to the features of the pattern. So, in hawk caterpillars, oblique stripes pass along a common green or gray background, which divide the body into segments, making it even less conspicuous. Protective coloration, combined with a characteristic shape, often leads to a protective resemblance to the parts of the plants on which the caterpillar lives. At moths, for example, caterpillars are similar to dry knots.

Along with the cryptic coloration, caterpillars that lead an open lifestyle also have a bright demonstration coloration, indicating their inedibility. The effect of this coloration depends not only on the color of the outer integument, but also on the color of the hairline. An example is a caterpillar antique wave(Orgyia antiqua), which has a very bizarre appearance; she is gray or yellowish with black and red spots and with tufts of black hair of various lengths; on the dorsal side, the yellow hairs are collected in four dense brushes (Pl. 46, 9). Some caterpillars at the moment of danger take a threatening posture. These include the caterpillar of a large harpy (Cerura vinula), which has a very peculiar shape: it has a large flat head, a body wide in the front part, strongly tapering towards the posterior end, at the top of which there is a “fork”, consisting of two strongly odorous threads. It is worth disturbing the caterpillar, as it immediately assumes a threatening posture, lifting up the front part of the body and the tip of the abdomen with a “fork” (Table 46, 1).

Caterpillars that lead a hidden lifestyle are of a different type: they do not have bright color combinations. Most often, they are characterized by monotonous pale colors: whitish, light yellowish or pinkish.

The pupa in Lepidoptera has an ovoid, elongated shape, with a pointed posterior end (Fig. 327). Its dense outer covers form a hard shell; all appendages and limbs are soldered to the body, as a result of which the surface of the pupa becomes continuous, the legs and wings cannot be separated from the body without violating the integrity of the integuments. Such a chrysalis is called an open chrysalis. She cannot move, but she retains some mobility of the last segments of the abdomen. The pupae of diurnal butterflies are very bizarre: usually angular, often with a metallic sheen, without a cocoon. They are attached to various objects, and either hang head down (hanging chrysalis), or are girded with a thread, and then their head is turned upwards (belted chrysalis).

In many Lepidoptera, caterpillars weave a silky cocoon before pupation, in which the pupa develops. In some species, the amount of silk in the cocoon is so great that it is of great practical interest. Since ancient times, sericulture has been a very important industry.

The main producer of natural silk in the USSR is silkworm(Bombyx mori), referring to family of true silkworms(Bombycidae). Currently, this species does not exist in nature in the wild. Its homeland, apparently, is the Himalayas, from where it was brought to China, where sericulture began to develop in 2500 BC. e. In Europe, this branch of production arises around the 8th century; more than three hundred years ago, it penetrated into Russia.

In appearance, the silkworm is a nondescript butterfly with a thick, strongly hairy body and white wings, reaching 4-6 cm in span (Table 47, 2). Males differ from females in having a thinner abdomen and feathery antennae. Despite the presence of wings, butterflies have lost the ability to fly as a result of domestication.

Although the silkworm normally reproduces by mating males and females, in some cases it exhibits parthenogenesis. In 1886, the Russian zoologist A. A. Tikhomirov proved the possibility of artificially obtaining parthenogenesis in the silkworm as a result of stimulating unfertilized eggs with various mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli. This was the first case of obtaining artificial parthenogenesis. At the present time, artificial parthenogenesis has been obtained in many invertebrates (insects, echinoderms) and P03V.9H0CH animals (amphibians).

The silkworm caterpillar is known as the silkworm. It is large, up to 8 cm long, fleshy, whitish in color, with a horn-like appendage at the end of the abdomen. Crawls relatively slowly. When pupating, the caterpillar secretes one whole thread, up to 1000 m long, which it wraps around itself in the form of a silky cocoon.

Our main sericulture centers are located in Central Asia and the Transcaucasus.

Their position is determined by the distribution of the host plant, which is the mulberry tree (mulberry). The advancement of sericulture further north is hampered by the absence of cold-resistant mulberry varieties.

In production, grena (eggs) of the silkworm is kept at a low temperature, and in the spring it is revived in special apparatus, where the temperature is maintained at about 25 ° C. Silkworms are bred in special rooms - worms, where “feeding whatnots” are placed. Mulberry leaves are laid out on them to feed the caterpillars; as needed, the leaves are replaced with fresh ones. The development of the caterpillar takes 40-80 days, during which time four molts pass. By the time of pupation, bundles of rods are placed on the whatnots, onto which the caterpillars crawl. Ready cocoons are collected, brewed with hot steam, and then unwound on special machines. One kilogram of raw cocoons can produce over 90 g of raw silk. As a result of selection, many breeds of silkworms have been created, differing in productivity, quality of silk thread and color of cocoons. The color of the cocoon can be white, pink, greenish and bluish.

The use of the latest methods of radiation selection made it possible to artificially increase the yield of silk. It has been found that caterpillar cocoons from which males develop always contain more silk. B. L. Astaurov showed that at a certain dose of X-ray irradiation of silkworm eggs, it is possible to kill the egg nucleus without violating the viability of the plasma. Such eggs are normally fertilized by sperm, and the caterpillars that develop from them later turn into males. This makes it possible to increase the yield of silk by 30%.

In addition to the silkworm, other types of butterflies are also used in sericulture, for example Chinese oak peacock(Antheraea pernyi), which has been bred in China for over 250 years. The silk obtained from its cocoons is used to make chesuchi. In the Soviet Union, work on the acclimatization of this butterfly has been carried out since 1924. We have favorable conditions for its cultivation in the Polissya regions of the Ukrainian and Byelorussian SSRs, where in the floodplains of the rivers there are natural massifs of undersized oak shoots.

Chinese oak peacock-eye (Table 47, 1) - a large butterfly (wingspan 12-15 cm); females are larger, reddish-fawn in color, males are grayish-fawn with a slight olive tint. A light stripe runs along the outer edge of the wings; on each wing there is a large eye with a transparent window. The oak peacock eye usually has two generations per year. Pupae of the second generation hibernate. After mating, which takes place at night, females lay eggs (gren); the average number of eggs laid is 160-170, in the summer generation it reaches 250. After 15 days, small black caterpillars appear from the eggs, which after the first molt change their color to green with a yellowish or bluish tinge. Caterpillars develop on oak leaves; they can also feed on the leaves of willows, birch, hornbeam and hazel. Within 35-40 days they go through four molts and, reaching a length of 9 cm, begin to curl cocoons. Cocoon curling lasts from three to five days; after that, the caterpillar becomes immobile, and then molts and turns into a pupa, the development of which lasts 25-29 days. The pupae of the first generation are formed in mid-June; wintering pupae of the second generation - in mid-September.

The economic importance of Lepidoptera as pests of agriculture and forestry is very great. Over 1,000 species of Lepidoptera have been recorded on the territory of the Soviet Union, the caterpillars of which damage field, garden or forest crops. In the vast majority of cases, the pest complex is formed by representatives of the local fauna, moving to cultivated fields from wild plants. In this regard, the history of the settlement of the sunflower is very curious. sunflower moth(Homoeosoma nebulella). This plant is native to North America; it came to Russia only in the 18th century and for a long time was considered decorative. Only since the 60s of the last century, sunflower has become an industrial oilseed crop in our country. For many years, its crops suffered from sunflower moth, which passed to it from wild plants, mainly from thistles. Butterflies of this pest lay their eggs on the inner walls of the anthers; caterpillars emerging from the eggs bite into the achenes and eat out the embryos in them. Modern armored varieties of sunflower, bred by Soviet breeders, are almost not damaged by moth due to the presence of a special shell layer in the achene peel, which the caterpillar cannot gnaw through.

The facts of importation of harmful Lepidoptera from other countries are known. More recently, in Europe, it has gained wide popularity american white butterfly(Hyphantria cunea), native to North America. On the European continent, it was first discovered in 1940 in Hungary, after a few years it quickly spread to Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. The butterfly has snow-white wings (span-2.5-3.5 cm), some individuals have small black dots on the abdomen and on the wings. The antennae of the female are filiform, those of the male are feathery, black with a white coating.

Caterpillars are polyphagous, can feed on more than 200 plant species. It is characteristic that in Europe they prefer mulberry, which is hardly touched in America. Caterpillars are velvety brown above with black warts bearing long hairs; lemon-yellow stripes with orange warts on the sides; length 3.5 cm. Pupae hibernate, which are under the bark of trees, in the forks of branches and nodes with fallen LEAVES. The butterfly lays its eggs on the underside of leaves, placing 300 to 800 eggs in a clutch. Caterpillars develop within 35-45 days. Young caterpillars live in nests woven from silk.

In the distribution of these butterflies, winds play an important role, contributing to their flights. New foci of this pest are found along railway lines and highways. The American white butterfly is an important quarantine object of national importance.

Among other insects, Lepidoptera represent a relatively "young" group: fossil butterflies are known only from Tertiary deposits. At the same time, this is the second order of insects in terms of the number of species, which includes about 140,000 species and is inferior in diversity of forms only to the order of beetles. Lepidoptera are distributed throughout the world; there are especially many of them in the tropics, where the most beautiful and largest forms are found, reaching in some cases a wingspan of almost 30 cm, as is the case with one of the largest butterflies in the world - agrippa scoops(Thysania agrippina), common in the forests of Brazil (Fig. 328). See what the "Order Lepidoptera or Butterflies (Lepidoptera)" is in other dictionaries: - a group of families of the order of butterflies, or Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera), the second largest number of species in the class of insects. Most, as the name suggests, are crepuscular or nocturnal. In addition, nocturnal butterflies are different from daytime and ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

- (Lepidoptera, see Table Butterflies I IV) form a large order of insects, comprising up to 22,000 species, including up to 3,500 species in the Russian Empire (in European and Asian Russia). These are insects with sucking mouth organs, ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera, from the Greek lepis scales and pteron wing), an extensive (more than 140 thousand species) squad of insects with complete transformation. Two pairs of wings, covered with scales. The oral apparatus is sucking, in the form of a proboscis (See Proboscis) (at rest ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (lepidoptera), a detachment of insects. Wings (2 pairs) covered with differently colored scales. In large individuals, the wingspan is up to 30 cm, in small ones about 3 mm. Adults (imagoes) live from several hours to several weeks (wintering several ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

This term has other meanings, see Detachment (meanings). Contents 1 History of the concept 1.1 Botany ... Wikipedia

Contents 1 History of the concept 1.1 Botany 1.2 Zoology 2 Names ... Wikipedia

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