Owl butterfly (genus Caligo): photos and features of a unique butterfly

Description of the genus Caligo, appearance of the owl butterfly

Owl butterfly from the genus Caligo, photo

The owl butterfly (Owlutterflies Caligo) belongs to the genus Caligo, which includes about 20 butterflies that live in the tropics and subtropics of America.

The wingspan of representatives of the genus Caligo reaches 120-160 cm, although there are also specimens in which this figure reaches 200 mm.

All butterflies are predominantly brown and brown in color, for which they received the name “Caligo”, which is translated from Latin as “gloomy”. There are also specimens with beige, orange spots and a purple tint.

The reverse side of the wings of owl butterflies is covered with an intricate pattern of stripes, wavy lines and spots. The owl butterfly has one black circle with a yellow border on the central part of the hind wings, which in appearance resembles the eyes of an owl.

Butterflies have a spindle-shaped body covered with dense hairs. The average size of insects is 16-17 cm, sometimes they grow up to 20 cm.

The eyes are faceted and occupy most of the head. The antennae are filamentous.

On average, butterflies live 3 weeks.

Insects have pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are larger than males and have less bright colors.

How nature draws on butterflies

Any new pattern on an insect's wing is the result of a mutation. Probably, once upon a time, an unusual specimen with small spots appeared among the brownish-gray caligos. Even though not all enemies were afraid of him, but only the smallest ones, he was more fortunate than his relatives: he left offspring.

In a couple of children, the spots not only appeared, but became larger. They scared off many more predators and also lived to see the main moment of life - reproduction. And so in every generation: whoever is more like an owl populates the world of the Amazon forests with his children.

Caligo is not unique in its coloring. The African speckled peacock-eye shows the pattern of an animal's face to predators. The ends of the wings of the Atlas peacock-eye resemble the backward-facing heads of snakes. Saturnius Io with monkey eyes on a bright yellow background is very impressive.

Reproduction

Butterflies exhibit complex forms of courtship in the form of flights and mating dances. Males divide the territory into separate areas, where they wait for incoming females. After wintering, butterflies appear in early spring, and they are the ones who produce the first generation. The search for partners is facilitated by the distribution of pheromones. After fertilization, the female lays 100 to 300 eggs on the underside of the leaves of food plants. Most often it is nettle. Laying begins in early May. The embryo matures for one to two weeks, then the caterpillar appears.

Caterpillars are equipped with gnawing type mouthparts; they feed day and night with short rest breaks. At the first instar, the length of the larvae is about 2 mm, in the second it is already 8 mm. They grow quickly, eating all the leaves on the plant. In addition to nettles, insects settle on raspberries, hops, willow or birch leaves. The number of days between molts varies; in total, caterpillars go through five instars. The larval stage takes about a month. Before pupation, the caterpillars crawl in different directions.

The larvae have their own defense mechanisms. When attacked by predators, they take a threatening pose and begin to simultaneously move in different directions. This scares off the attacker. In addition, the caterpillars secrete an unpleasant green liquid and can curl up into a ball and fall to the ground. The angular, grey-green or brownish-gold colored pupa can be seen on walls, branches or stems. The color depends on the location chosen for pupation. This stage, depending on the ambient temperature, lasts 2-3 weeks.

The length of the pupa is 25-28 mm, it is formed upside down. The rudiments of wings, proboscis, and abdomen are visible. The first generation of butterflies appears at the end of June. The cocoon ruptures along the head and the leading edge of the wings.

Lifestyle and reproduction

Butterflies spend most of their time sitting motionless on branches or tree trunks. During the resting period, they fold their wings behind their backs in a house, while their reverse side with a motley pattern and eyes is visible. The pattern on the wing of the caligo is a unique form of mimicry. Small animals are afraid to approach objects with a light iris and a large black pupil. They resemble the eyes of large predators.

The natural enemy of tropical butterflies is the arboreal forest lizard anole. Reptiles measuring 10-30 cm deftly climb trees, where they hunt slow-moving insects. Having noticed a predator, caligos fall on their backs and open their wings, displaying a camouflage pattern. In most cases, the lizards retreat.

Caligo moths are active at dusk, flying in search of overripe fermented fruits early in the morning or in the afternoon until sunset. Butterflies descend from the trees to the ground, open their proboscis and drink sweet juice.

Reproduction

After lengthy courtship and mating flights, Caligo butterflies mate on branches. The female lays a large number of eggs on banana leaves. After 5-7 days, small caterpillars appear. Not all eggs laid give birth; some die. The first instar larvae are white with orange or brown stripes along the body. After molting, their color changes to green, spikes appear on the body and horns on the back of the head.

Information. Caligo butterflies are characterized by competition between males for the attention of females and prolonged courtship of their partners. Sexual dimorphism is manifested in the size of the imago - females are larger.

Adult larvae are brown in color, the body is covered with hairs, and there are two “tails” on the last segment of the abdomen. The caterpillars feed at night and rest on the midrib of the leaf during the day. The larvae stay in groups, stacking one after another. The head of each subsequent caterpillar lies on the tip of the abdomen of the previous one. In the latter instar, the brown caterpillars become camouflaged on the stem of banana leaves. The pupae are greenish or brown; pupation occurs on the host plant.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Daytime peacock butterfly

The adult form appears at the beginning of summer and enjoys life until September - more precisely, until the autumn cold arrives. These butterflies spend a significant part of their lives in flight, and it can be either active or passive - thanks to their wide wings, they save energy by simply gliding.

They are active only in the light of the sun - as soon as it starts to get cold in the evening, they look for a place to spend the night. They love sunlight and warmth very much, because they require a lot of energy to fly, so they can bask in the sun for a long time before starting their next flight.

They also need good weather to fly. Therefore, if rainy and cold periods in the summer drag on, the peacock’s eye enters diapause - the butterfly falls into a short summer hibernation. She usually spends up to a week in it and returns to active life immediately after it becomes warm and sunny again.

The peacock's eye is a real long-liver; in total, not counting periods of hibernation, it can live up to a year. After the onset of cold weather, it goes to wintering. It is noteworthy that in particularly warm areas, a peacock’s eye can overwinter a second time and wake up from hibernation again in the spring.

Thus, this butterfly can be found in the subtropics throughout most of the year - from March to October. Of course, in temperate latitudes this is much less likely; in the spring, only butterflies accidentally awakened by a thaw can be found, and they fly for only a short time.

Alas, death will probably await them, because a butterfly that wakes up ahead of time spends a lot of energy and cannot replenish it in the required amount - although sometimes it manages to find shelter and continue wintering in order to wake up again when it becomes really warm.

To overwinter, she needs to find a place where it will not be as cold as in the open air, but not warm either: she can climb under the bark of trees, deep into the forest floor, into balconies and attics. The main thing is that this place is protected from the cold and predators.

During hibernation, the butterfly can withstand freezing temperatures, although their exposure is undesirable. But she will not be able to react to the attack, nor will she be able to replenish her reserves of nutrients - so she needs to choose a secluded place and stock up on them in advance.

Mimicry

Stick insect
There are animals that have learned to imitate other animals or objects. This ability to imitate gives them a huge advantage, allowing them to hide effectively. Creatures that imitate an inanimate object, such as a leaf or twig, can rest peacefully among the leaves and branches without worrying about their safety. Animals that imitate living things (a phenomenon called mimetism) often imitate animals that are more dangerous and scarier than themselves. In this way they protect themselves from predators. Here we present to your attention the best imitators.

Leafweed

Fallen Leaf Butterfly
This incredible miracle of evolution cannot be detected when it is hiding in a tree. These insects are strikingly reminiscent of tree leaves in appearance. They even move like a leaf when the wind blows. Some leafhoppers even have bumps along the edges, making them look even more like leaves.

Interesting: Why do pigeons walk and sparrows jump? Description, photo and video

Butterfly "owl's eye"

Owl's Eye Butterfly
Like many butterflies that have large eye spots on their wings, the owl's eye is designed to repel potential predators. These butterflies are hunted mainly by lizards and frogs. Spots resembling owl's eyes help butterflies save their lives.

hoverfly

Hoverfly
Hoverflies are harmless insects that feed on nectar and pollen. Many hoverflies imitate more dangerous and poisonous wasps. In this way, they escape from animals that are afraid of wasps.

In the animal world, conspicuous coloration is almost always a disadvantage. However, the bright coloration can also serve as a warning to potential predators.

Brightly colored animals are more likely to be poisonous, dangerous, or unpalatable. Many unpalatable butterflies and moths are painted in bright warning colors. And it’s also better not to touch brightly colored frogs. Many harmless animals have evolved to have dangerous animal colors to help them avoid predators.

Is it possible to keep a butterfly at home?

Nowadays, the owl butterfly can play the role of a pet. The individual is not overly timid and has high adaptation indicators. Before you know it, she will get used to your presence and sit in your arms. There are no difficulties in providing her with the necessary food. She will happily eat orange slices or blackened bananas. The insect feeds once throughout the day; the duration of the meal varies from 5 to 15 minutes.

However, it is important to maintain the temperature and humidity conditions necessary for the life of the moth. So, the temperature should not drop to 23 degrees and exceed 28 degrees

Humidity in the room should be maintained between 60-70%. It is extremely important for butterflies, since under other conditions the insect's wings will dry out and begin to crumble. In order to prevent this outcome, you can sometimes spray the insect or place a moistened napkin in its aquarium. If you properly care for a butterfly, it can live from two to three months.

How does a butterfly live?

The insect's active period during the day begins before sunset. However, it does not have an impressive duration: the butterfly is in a state of highest activity for only 20 minutes. At this time, she searches for food. If a discovery occurs, then, having descended to the ground, it opens its spirally coiled proboscis and drinks nectar.

The rest of the time, owl butterflies are in the trees. Having folded their wings like a house, they sit motionless. The camouflage reverse side is clearly visible to potential enemies at this moment.

Since the butterfly’s main means of protecting itself from enemies is camouflage, when attacked by birds of prey or reptiles, it instantly makes a masterly 180-degree flip in order to show them the “secret weapon” hiding on the back of its open wings. The effect of using this effective method is very good, since both birds and snakes make every possible effort to hide from what they see - the image of the appearance of an owl.

The insect feeds mainly on overripe fruits, both in its natural habitat and when kept at home. Favorite among these are blackened bananas. Such unpretentiousness of the owl butterfly becomes one of the reasons that attracts people to keep it as a pet.

Many people classify the insect as a moth. In turn, scientists emphasize that the owl butterfly is crepuscular. This definition indicates that the animal has ultrasonic hearing and even a voice. The insect can not only detect a light crackling sound, which is difficult for a person to perceive, but also reproduce it! Since one of the natural enemies of the owl butterfly is bats that hunt using echolocation, the fragile creatures need to defend themselves. Her unique abilities help her in this. Butterflies detect the approach of an animal and send ultrasounds in its direction with a deliberately changed frequency. This distorts the image of the space scanned by the bat, and it loses the ability to accurately catch prey. Using the enemy's mistakes, the butterflies hide from him.

Mnemosyne butterfly - description, habitat, species

Protection of blueberry butterflies

Photo: Blueberry butterfly from the Red Book

Some species of blueberry are listed in the International Red Book, and a larger number are listed in the Red Books of individual states. The most common reasons for the decline in the number of these butterflies is the disappearance of their habitats due to increasing urbanization, active grazing of livestock in areas where their numbers increase, burning of grass and other human activities.

Accordingly, conservation measures are aimed at preserving the integrity of at least some of the habitats of rare blueberry species. The intensity of measures taken varies depending on the state, the greatest is observed in European countries.

Several species of blueberry are protected in Russia, including arion, magnificent marshmallow and David's blueberry. Measures are being taken to prevent the extinction of these rare species: a significant part of their populations lives in nature reserves and other protected natural areas, which helps prevent a further decline in their numbers.

Especially for them, unmown grassy edges and clumps of oregano near anthills are left on the territories of these objects, and the anthills themselves are not destroyed. The amount of effort put into preserving rare species depends primarily on the authorities of the regions in which blueberries are protected.

Bluebirds are very diverse, especially in the tropics, where you can find these butterflies with very different shapes and colors of wings. In temperate latitudes, although there are significantly fewer of them, there are also a lot of them, and these very short-lived creatures adorn the warm season - although their caterpillars sometimes damage cultivated plantings.

Features and habitat of blueberry

Blueberry (in Latin Lycaenidae) is the second most common family on earth, has about five thousand varieties and occupies approximately thirty percent of the species known to science today. You can meet this miracle almost all over the globe, but most often in the tropics.

By analyzing a photo of a blueberry, you can describe its external features, such as size and color. This butterfly, in its wingspan, rarely reaches more than four centimeters, with the exception of several tropical species that have reached six centimeters.

The blueberry received its name directly because of its color, which has a blue or bluish tint; more rare are the blueberry with a red and brownish color.

Like many other creatures, they have such a concept as dimorphism, that is, external differences depending on gender. More specifically, in bluebirds, dimorphism is manifested precisely in color; males are usually brighter than females!

Mature individuals have six legs; in many males the front two are poorly developed. Hairy body, including head and eyes, occasionally bare. There is a pair of antennae and short palps.

The blueberry butterfly lives next to nutritious plants, on forest edges, near rivers and streams covered with dense vegetation. They are not inclined to travel long distances, so they may not leave a certain area of the terrain their entire lives.

Appearance and structure of butterflies

Moths are called moths with different antennae, which is associated with the anatomical structure of the antennae, which look like feathers or threads.

What does a moth look like? Its body, like that of other species of this order of insects, has three sections, the abdomen, the sternum and the head. The latter of butterflies does not differ in size; it is decorated with eyes and large antennae. There are 2 pairs of wings on the insect's chest, and its body is covered with tiny scales and hairs.

The oral apparatus has some features:

the proboscis, with the help of which the insect takes food, is presented in the form of a flat spiral that folds and unfolds and opens directly into the larynx;
when the proboscis is not required, it is twisted and hidden under the scales covering the butterfly's head;
when expanded, the proboscis is ideally suited for absorbing liquids;
adult individuals have jaws (similar ones can be seen in caterpillars and other types of insects), allowing them to chew through the necessary objects.

The structure of the wings may differ among different subspecies:

a butterfly may not have wings at all (this structure is passed on by insects from generation to generation and is an evolutionary manifestation);
have a wide wing surface;
have very narrow wings, almost linear.

The flight that a butterfly can demonstrate depends on the structure of its wings. For example, male mothfish are excellent flyers who dive superbly in the night sky. And their females can be either with or without wings.

On the other hand, there are known species of moths that have wings of a standard size and shape that do not allow the insect to fly (for example, the silkworm). The best developed flying apparatus is in the nocturnal moth - the hawkmoth subspecies, whose narrow wings have a high flapping frequency, allowing them to fly quickly and hover in the air for a while, as hummingbirds do.

Small individuals have rather narrow wings, which keep them in the air only due to the thick scales located on the sides.

The main difference between diurnal and nocturnal butterfly species is the mechanism for attaching the rear and front pairs of wings:

Bridle: in this case, a small process extends from the hind wings, which is inserted into a segment of the front wing. In males it is located on the lower part of the forewing, in females it is at the base of the medial vein; it is a cluster of villi.
Yugum: on the front wing there is a small blade, which is attached at its base. It is she who fastens both wings to each other.

The hawk moth is also active at night

Reproduction and lifespan of the monarch butterfly

The mating season for butterflies begins in the spring, before migrating to warm countries. Before the mating process there is a courtship period, which is a pleasure to watch.

First, the male pursues the female in flight, playing and attracting with his presence, he touches her with his wings, stroking her from time to time. Next, he deliberately forcefully pushes the chosen one down.

It is at this moment that the insects mate. The sperm sac, which the male gives to the female, not only plays the role of fertilization, but also supports the butterfly’s strength during egg laying and is an assistant during travel.

The female is ready to lay eggs in spring or summer. The color of the eggs is white, creamy with a hint of yellow. The eggs are irregularly conical in shape, more than one centimeter long and a millimeter wide.

Just four days after laying, the caterpillar appears. The monarch caterpillar is very voracious and can cause great damage to agriculture during its growth period. First, the caterpillars eat the eggs from which they emerged, and then proceed to feed on the leaves on which the eggs were stored.

The caterpillars accumulate the necessary strength and energy and after 14 days they become pupae. When another two weeks pass from the pupal stage, the monarch turns into a beautiful butterfly.

According to scientific research, it is known that the beautiful butterfly with the royal name in natural conditions lives from two weeks to two months. The life of butterflies that migrate is about seven months.

External description of the leaf butterfly

When the leaf butterfly's wings are folded, it is practically indistinguishable in appearance from a dry leaf.

It was thanks to this similarity that the common name of the genus appeared - leafweed. It is leaf butterflies (callimas) that are perhaps the most illustrative example of mimicry in nature.

The leaf butterfly is so similar to a dried leaf that even a specialist who is well acquainted with this insect, stroking the branch where this insect sits and, knowing that it is sitting there, cannot immediately distinguish it. The shape, color, shades and veins of the wings of the Kalima completely, in the smallest detail, imitate a dry leaf.

Leaf butterfly (Kallima inachus).

Surprisingly, even the edges of the wings of the leaf butterfly look torn and frayed, like a dry leaf. However, the similarity with a dry leaf does not end there: in order to achieve maximum resemblance to a dried leaf, the kalima folds its wings in such a way that the hind wings, with their short outgrowths, rest against the branch, as if it were a petiole.

As for the inner surface of the wings of these camouflage geniuses, it has a rich blue color or a bright metallic blue. Leaf butterflies fly quite quickly and, thanks to such a specific coloring, during flight they become very beautiful and noticeable.

The beauty of the leaf butterfly is complemented by a wide yellow or orange stripe located on the front wings. Some butterflies also have black tops with white spots clearly visible against a black background.

On top, the wings of the leaf butterfly are brightly colored, but on the inside they look like a dried leaf.

Classification and types of butterflies

The large order of Lepidoptera includes more than 158 thousand representatives. There are several classification systems for butterflies, quite complex and confusing, with constant changes occurring in them.

The most successful scheme is considered to be one that divides this detachment into four suborders:

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

Typical representatives are:

golden smallwing;
marigold smallwing.

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

The most famous butterflies from this suborder:

flour moth – Asopia farinalis L.
spruce cone moth – Dioryctrica abieteila.

Heterobathmiidae, represented by one family Heterobathmiidae.

Proboscis butterflies, making up the largest suborder, consisting of several dozen families, which include more than 150 thousand species of butterflies. The appearance and size of representatives of this suborder are very diverse.

Below are several families demonstrating the diversity of proboscis butterflies.

Swallowtail family
, represented by medium and large butterflies with a wingspan from 50 to 280 mm. The pattern on the wings of butterflies consists of black, red or blue spots of various shapes, clearly visible on a white or yellow background. The most famous of them are the swallowtail butterfly, the swallowtail "Glory of Bhutan", Queen Alexandra's birdwing and others.
Family Nymphalidae
, a characteristic feature of which is the absence of thickened veins on wide, angular wings with variegated colors and a variety of patterns. The wingspan of butterflies varies from 50 to 130 mm. Representatives of this family are: admiral butterfly, day peacock butterfly, urticaria butterfly, mourning butterfly, etc.
The Hawkmoth family
, represented by moths with narrow wings, the span of which does not exceed 13 cm and is distinguished by a characteristic pattern. The abdomen of these insects is thickened and fusiform. The most famous butterflies of this family are: the death's head hawk moth, the oleander hawk moth, and the poplar hawk moth.
Family Noctuid moths
, which includes more than 35,000 species of moths. The span of the furry wings, gray with a metallic tint, averages 35 mm. However, in South America, there is a species of butterfly called tisania agrippina with a wingspan of 31 cm or the atlas peacock eye, the size of which resembles a medium-sized bird.

Interesting facts about butterflies

Are butterflies dangerous for humans? No, but there is an exception, this is the Saturnius butterfly. It is true that it is not the butterfly itself that is dangerous, but its caterpillar, which secretes poisonous toxins that can even kill a person. (fortunately, such butterflies and caterpillars do not live in our latitudes).
The migratory monarch butterfly is a true champion in endurance; it is capable of flying up to 1000 km at a time, without even stopping to rest.
If the monarch butterfly is a champion in endurance, then hawk moths are real record holders in the insect world for speed; they can reach speeds of up to 60 km per hour over short distances.
Butterflies do not sleep either at night or during the day, since they absolutely do not need sleep.

Keeping at home

The owl butterfly is an excellent option for keeping at home.
She is not shy, quickly gets used to the presence of a person, and sits on your hand. There are no problems with feeding the pet. In captivity, it is enough to place cut oranges, overripe bananas, peaches and plums in front of the insects. The butterfly itself unwinds its spiral proboscis and begins to feed. Feeding occurs once a day, takes 5-15 minutes. Caligos love sweet drinks, such as homemade wine. For the moth it is necessary to create suitable conditions:

room temperature – 23-28°C;
humidity not lower than 60-70%.

Maintaining humidity is extremely important for the health of lepidoptera. Their limbs and wings quickly dry out and crumble.

It is necessary to maintain humidity by periodically spraying the insect itself, from a distance of about 1 m. A damp cloth is left in the container where the butterfly will be placed. Adults of the genus Caligo live 20-21 days in natural conditions. With proper care they will live for 2-3 months.

What does a lemongrass butterfly look like?

Male common lemongrass or buckthorn (Gonepteryx rhamni).

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

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

Interesting Facts

The hawk owl, despite its small size, is a very brave bird. If the nest is in any danger, both parents rush to its defense. Moreover, the owl strikes with powerful and sharp claws, trying to hit the offender directly in the head.
The asteroid (714) Ulula was named in honor of the hawk owl in 1911.
Residents of the Far East call the hawk owl the Far Eastern shaman. This is because there is a fairy tale among the people about how an owl was offended by a goose. The owl, out of resentment, flew to the very top of the tree, spread its wings, and began to call upon the help of dark spirits for revenge. As a result, a saying appeared: the time will come and the owl will remember that the goose offended her, will start shamanizing and hooting throughout the taiga, inclement weather will come and the goose will molt.

Features and habitat of the monarch butterfly

The monarch travels long distances to fly to warm countries in winter. One of the characteristics of insects is intolerance to the cold season, and the food they eat does not grow during winter in their native lands.

The monarch butterfly is from the genus Danidae, which belongs to the nymphalidae family. Since ancient times, the Danaid genus was divided into three subgenera, which have now been forgotten, and today all 12 butterflies belong to one genus. Because of this, the description of the monarch butterfly sometimes differs.

When the butterfly's wings are spread out, they are large (8-10 centimeters). But not only the size surprises, but the structure of the wing, which has 1.5 million cells, is fascinating, and bubbles are located in them.

The color of the wings is varied, but red-brown tones are superior among the others, they are rich and in large quantities. There are patterns painted with yellow stripes, and the tips of the front pair of wings are marked with orange spots, the edges of the wings are outlined with black outline. Female butterflies differ from males in having darkish and small-sized wings.

North America has the largest number of these beautiful insects. But due to the migration of monarch butterflies, they can be found even in Africa and Australia, Sweden and Spain. In the 19th century, the appearance of the insect in New Zealand was noted. Butterflies visited Europe more in Madeira and the Canaries, and the butterfly successfully migrated to Russia.

Observing the migration of butterflies, experts noted that in August they leave North America and travel south. The flight is carried out in columns, also called “clouds”.

The photo shows the migration of monarch butterflies to warm countries

If the monarch's habitat is closer to the north, then migration begins in the spring. A female in position migrates along with the others; she does not lay eggs, but keeps them inside herself during the migration, and only after settling in a new place does she lay them. In Mexico, the Mariposa-Manarca Nature Reserve has been created for butterflies, and it is not the only one where the monarch butterfly lives.

Natural enemies

The hawk owl is a predator, but nevertheless it has plenty of natural enemies.

The first and most common enemy is lack of nutrition. In hungry years, when the number of rodents that make up the main diet is insufficient, up to a quarter of all young animals die.

The second enemy, mainly for chicks, is carnivorous zoophages. These are mainly raccoons, foxes and ferrets that attack the nest in the absence of their parents.

And another enemy for this amazing bird is man. Unauthorized hunting and destruction of the usual habitat cause quite serious harm to the hawk owl population.

Habitat and favorable environment

These bright and beautiful creatures are typical inhabitants of Eurasia. They are found from Spain to the borders of Japan

. Most of them live in Germany, and in this country in 2009 the peacock butterfly was recognized as the butterfly of the year. The most favorable habitat for these creatures is open space. They feel most comfortable when they flutter around the territory:

They can often be seen in parks, squares and gardens. For normal existence and development

they need life-giving moisture and space. Terrains such as deserts or dense forests are not suitable for them, and due to the cold climate they cannot live in the polar tundra. They cannot be seen on the island of Crete or in the northern part of the African continent.

Life cycle

Peacock's eye is a migratory insect that can cover vast distances. In mountainous areas they can fly at altitudes of up to 2,500 meters

above sea level. These beautiful creatures are diurnal. In winter, they fly to areas with damp and cool climates. The life cycle of this butterfly species consists of 4 stages:

egg;
caterpillar;
chrysalis;
imago (butterfly).

Adults winter in secluded and cool places. Sometimes they may be in a pupal state

. A cool climate is considered a prerequisite for normal wintering. It happens that a butterfly chooses a warm place indoors for wintering, and in this case it runs the risk of not surviving until spring, since it may die. In winter, during hibernation, a warm climate will promote a more active metabolism and this will accelerate the aging of the insect.

Peacock eye

Nutrition and reproduction

There are two main phases in the life of a butterfly - the caterpillar and the adult insect. The food for the adult caterpillar is plant food:

hop;
raspberries;
nettle;
willow leaves.

When it passes the pupal stage and enters the adult insect state
, it begins to feed on nectar alone. The daytime peacock's eye has a close relative, the nocturnal peacock's eye. These butterflies, upon reaching adulthood, live in a state of aphagia and do not feed at all. Even in the caterpillar state, they accumulate the necessary supply of food, which is why they are considered very voracious insects.

When the female reaches adulthood, she lays eggs

, attaching them to the lower part of the nettle leaves. Just one individual peacock eye is able to lay up to 300 eggs at a time. Between May and August, the peacock's eye is in a caterpillar state. Its color is black with white speckles. They always live close to each other. They part only during the cocoon weaving period.

The peacock eye remains in this phase for about two weeks and the entire body of the pupa is greenish in color.

. After a two-week stay in this phase, a beautiful butterfly with beautiful long wings is born, which captivates with its bright and delicate beauty.

An interesting fact is that the voracious butterfly, feeding on plant foods, does not harm plants

. Such amazing insects are created only to be admired, obviously, therefore they cannot be pests.

In this article we will tell you how the one in question differs and why it was called that. This insect received the name peacock eye from the Latin language.

In Latin this name is written like this: nachis io. This name is translated into Russian as daytime peacock eye. The butterfly belongs to the nymphalidae family. There are two common species of peacock butterfly

Day peacock butterfly; -butterfly night peacock eye.

In the photo there is a night peacock butterfly

Adaptive color change

Some animals have gone even further than all the animals described above, as they have learned to change their color at will .

Chameleon

Jackson's Chameleon
The chameleon is undoubtedly the most famous example of such animals. However, the chameleon is not the only one that can change color in this way; many arctic animals also have this ability. As in the case of the chameleon, contrary to popular belief, these animals do not always change their color for the sake of protection. Quite often, a change in color is a message to representatives of the same species. This color change can serve as a signal of readiness for mating. The chameleon primarily uses its ability to change color to express its mood, although also to blend in with its environment.

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish
Unlike the chameleon, the cuttlefish uses this ability primarily for defensive purposes. It evaluates its surroundings and adopts the appropriate color. What's amazing is that cuttlefish can change the color of their entire body in less than a second. Cuttlefish also use the ability to “flare” as a means of communication. Other cephalopods such as octopuses and squids also have this ability.

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Flounder

Flounder moving along the ocean floor can change their color to match the color of the seabed. When flounder lies on the bottom, it is not easy to notice.

Description and features

Latin name: Parnassius appollo

Phylum: arthropod;
Class: insects;
Order: Lepidoptera;
Genus: Parnassius;
Type: Apollo.

The body is divided into a head, thorax and abdomen, consisting of nine segments. The skeleton on the outside is a hard chitinous cover that protects from external influences.

Lepidopterology is a branch of entomology that studies Lepidoptera.

The convex eyes (cervical sclerites) are of the facet type, consisting of a huge number of lenses to refract light along the entire perimeter; entomologists count them up to 27,000. The eyes, occupying two-thirds of the head, are framed by a corolla of fine hairs. It is believed that they are able to distinguish colors, but they do not know exactly how much.

Antennae - sensory organs that distinguish odors and air movement; during flight, they are involved in maintaining balance. Males have significantly larger antennae than females.

The highly modified jaws are transformed into a proboscis in the form of a tube, rolled into a roll. The inner shell of the proboscis is covered with sensitive small cilia, for determining the taste of nectar. The insect has six legs with claws and auditory openings.

Large wings reach nine centimeters in span, they are cream-colored, translucent with reddish spots on the lower wings and black on the upper ones. The red spots are surrounded by a black stripe; in some species they are round, in others they are square.

The pattern of the lower wings is framed by thick white hairs; on the black shiny abdomen, similar hairs stand out like stubble. The upper edges of the wings are framed by a wide gray border; pale gray spots are scattered across the entire field of the wing.

On the veins of the upper and lower wings there is a thick covering of chitinous scales in the form of flat hairs, each of them contains one type of pigment responsible for the pattern on the wing map. Flight may be accompanied by flapping wings or soaring upward in warm air currents. The color makes the Apollo an expressive and incredibly beautiful butterfly. Although they look very fragile, they can survive in difficult conditions.

Juvenile caterpillars are black, with light spots on each body segment, in two rows, with tufts of black hair protruding from them. Adult caterpillars are a beautiful black color with double rows of red dots along the entire body and gray-blue warts.

On the head there are two breathing holes and a hidden horn, which grows in case of danger, emitting a repulsive, unpleasant aroma. They have three pairs of thoracic legs and five pairs of abdominal legs - thicker with hooks at the tips. The defiantly bright color scares away enemies; in addition, the caterpillars are hairy, so many birds do not hunt them; only cuckoos eat them.

Before pupation, the caterpillar becomes very worried, moves quickly, looking for shelter, and is sometimes caught on pedestrian and roadways. Having found a suitable place, he begins to knit a cocoon, first weaving several webs for the base of the capsule, and then continuing more thorough weaving until he gets a dense, strong house for the next stage of development of the individual.

The adult caterpillar of the Apollo butterfly is black with red spots.

The pupae are covered with a chitinous covering, through which, soon after being wrapped in cobwebs, the outlines of a butterfly begin to appear, the proboscis is very clearly visible, and the outlines of future wings and eyes are visible. Only the rings at the back of the pupa are movable.

Apollo butterfly pupa

Coloring as camouflage from predators

Camouflage from Predators
A huge number of animals use their coloration to blend in with their environment. Thus, animals living in trees may be colored to match the color of the bark or have body patterns that help them get lost in the foliage. Land animals often have a gray-brown coloration, which helps them move undetected on the ground. The body of animals living among the snow is often covered with white fur, which helps them become invisible against a white background. Many animals living in the jungle have spotted colors. This protective coloration is also known as cryptic coloration. Let's now look at the most interesting animals that use cryptic coloration.