Butterflies are amazing creatures, sophisticated, fragile and delicate. Everyone is surprised by the variety of patterns and colors of these creatures. They are compared with unusual fluttering flowers. But even more people are surprised at how a caterpillar can transform into such an adorable creature.
Systematics
Butterflies are one of the 34 orders of the class of insects, belong to the type of arthropods and the animal kingdom. Their number exceeds 350,000 species, among which there are both diurnal and nocturnal representatives.
The order Lepidoptera, which includes these amazing creatures, is divided into many suborders. The classification is based on the shape of the wings of these insects. For convenience, it is customary all over the world to write the names of butterflies in Latin.
General characteristics
During their development, these invertebrates go through four stages:
- Egg stage. During this period, the adult insect lays round or oval-shaped eggs, which are arranged singly or in groups, depending on the species.
- larva stageoccurs after the appearance of caterpillars from eggs. Since the main task of the insect at this stage was the accumulation of nutrients, all representatives have a well-developed jaw and an excellent appetite. Food for them can be both plant and animal organisms. During this period, the size of the insect organism sometimes increases even thousands of times. The larva passes through several molts.
- The pupal stage occurs after the larva has reached the required weight. Her body is covered with a thick shell, she stops eating and moving. After this, metamorphosis occurs, the process of restructuring the body. As a result, an adult butterfly of extraordinary beauty is formed from a large voracious caterpillar.
- Adult insect stage - imago. It starts from the moment of breaking through the shell. It was in appearance at this stage that the names of butterflies were compiled. For example, the glass butterfly gets its name from its transparent wings. The main function of the organism at this stage is resettlement and reproduction. Most representatives have a sucking mouth apparatus (proboscis) and are able to actively move. They have two pairs of wings, which are covered with modified bristles - scales.
The rarest representatives
Butterflies of the world and their names are amazing, each insect is beautiful in its own way. Unfortunately, in recent years, the number of many species has been declining, and they require protection. The list of endangered can be found in the Red Book of the World. It indicates the name of the butterflies in alphabetical order, a description of the habitat of each species and their approximate number.
Due to the deterioration of the ecological situation on the planet, these species have become rare:
Common Apollo (Parnassius apollo). His poor ability to fly led to the extinction of this representative, because of which he became an easy prey for predators. The species is very sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and feeds only in sunlight
Mnemosyne (Parnassius mnemosyne). Their black coloring was the reason for the appearance of the second name of butterflies - Black Apollo. The reason for the decline in numbers is poor flight ability, trapping, a decrease in food supply and habitat
European Brahmaea (Brahmaea europaea). Today it is under protection, the cause of extinction is a small, limited habitat area
Butterflies-record holders
Giant butterflies deserve no less attention:
Tizania agrippina is the largest member of the Lepidoptera order. It is nocturnal and feeds on cassia leaves. Lives in Mexico and South America. Both pairs of wings are wavy at the edges and range in color from white to dark brown
Koscinoscere hercules is the largest butterfly in the world, which leads a night life. The size of the female insect can reach 28 cm. These representatives are found in Australia and New Guinea. Large dimensions are not only adults, but also caterpillars. Its length is 16-18 cm
But even those insects that do not grow to large sizes amaze with their beauty. Shouldconsider the names of butterflies with the smallest size:
Acetosia lives in the UK. Its wingspan and body length are only 2 mm. And even with such dimensions, it attracts attention with a bright color in blue hues. During its short life, which is about 10 days, this butterfly has time to give two generations of offspring. All representatives feed on nectar or pollen from flowers
- Rediculosis is found in the Canary Islands.
- Sparks. Their wingspan is from 1 to 5 cm. And the shape of the wings and colors are the most diverse.
Meaning of butterflies
Like all animals on the planet, butterflies have both positive and negative meanings. Most species benefit by pollinating plants. Those representatives that feed on weeds are used as a biological way to deal with them. At the same time, insects can harm agriculture by eating cultivated plants in the fields.
Many connoisseurs of the beauty of these insects create collections, each of them has plates with the name of butterflies and their description. These collections are used not only as souvenirs, but also for scientific purposes.
