A tropical butterfly of the atlas peacock eye species. Atlas - the largest butterfly in the world

This giant butterfly amazes with its beauty and size. It's called Peacock-eye Atlas(Attacus atlas). Its wingspan reaches 26 cm, and its wing area reaches 400 square meters. cm. According to the last parameter, Atlas is considered the largest butterfly on the planet. It is found in the subtropics Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Thailand, southern China, Malay Archipelago. The largest specimen was documented on the island Java- this female had a wingspan of 262 mm.

Atlas is painted in shades of brown, bright red, yellow and pink. On each wing it has large transparent triangular “windows”. The front wings have a bizarrely curved edge, reminiscent in shape and color of a snake's head, which repels many insectivorous animals. For this unusual feature in Hong Kong the butterfly was nicknamed "The moth is the head of the snake."

In addition to its size, the giant beauty has another unique feature - a completely atrophied mouth. During its short (1-2 weeks) life, it does not feed on anything, but processes fat reserves accumulated while still being a caterpillar.

Atlas caterpillars are also huge - up to 10 cm in length. Their appearance is quite unusual: light green in color, with large bluish processes throughout the body, which are covered with a white waxy coating reminiscent of powder.

Atlases belong to the twilight species. They are active in the late evening and early morning hours, for which they received another sonorous nickname - “Prince of Darkness”.

The entire short life of these beautiful creatures is devoted exclusively to reproduction. On the very first evening after emerging from the pupa, the male goes in search of a female. The female, emerging from the pupa, sits motionless, waiting for the male, and is able to wait for him in this way for several days. She attracts males with powerful pheromones, the smell of which the male can smell with the help of his large feathery antennae at a distance of several kilometers! Mating lasts several hours. The next evening after mating, the female begins laying eggs. Oviposition continues for several nights, and immediately after its completion the female dies.

Atlases are not only beautiful, but also “useful” butterflies. In India, they are bred on special farms to produce fagar silk, which differs from mulberry silk in its wooliness, strength and extraordinary durability. And in Taiwan, wallets are made from the huge strong cocoons of this butterfly.

To admire Peacock-Eyed Atlas you don't have to go to Asia. She is being bred into Moscow Zoo.

Photographer Sandesh Kadur, while traveling in the Himalayas, photographed the largest moth in the world. The wingspan of this moth is 25 centimeters. When the photographer first saw him, he was a little scared. The open wings of the butterfly with a pattern on them created the impression of a large, angry snake's face. It’s not for nothing that Atlas is called “the butterfly with the head of a snake” in China.

According to experts, this is a kind of protection from enemies, and the butterfly itself is completely harmless and non-toxic. She doesn't even have a mouth. During its entire short life, which lasts only two weeks from the moment the pupa turns into a butterfly, this beautiful creature has only one goal - to lay as many eggs as possible. Atlases do not drink or eat. They live off the nutrients they received at the caterpillar stage.

Today's topic of the article is the largest butterfly. Butterflies belong to the order of insects with complete metamorphosis. On their life path, they go through three stages: egg, larva (aka caterpillar) and imago. Representatives of this order are characterized by a thick covering of chitinous scales on their wings. Butterflies have a wide variety of wing shapes and wingspans (varies from 2 mm to more than 30 cm). Today, special attention will be paid to the largest representative of butterflies, and the criterion by which the largest butterfly will be determined will be the length of the wingspan.

Rating "The largest butterfly." Top 5

1. SCOOP AGRIPPINA IS THE LARGEST BUTTERFLY IN THE WORLD

The first place in the ranking is occupied by the Agrippina moth (it has another name - tizania agrippina. This moth is rightfully considered the largest, since its wingspan reaches 30 cm. The Agrippina moth has a white and gray background of wings, on which there is a dark pattern. The shades of the wings are The largest butterfly lives in Central and South America. The typical habitat of the agrippina moth is considered to be the tropical rainforests of Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and other Latin American countries.

Second place in the “Largest Butterfly” rating with a wingspan of 27 cm is occupied by the Queen Alexandra Birdwing. This diurnal butterfly lives in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The length of the abdomen of this large and beautiful butterfly can reach 8 cm, and its weight is 12 grams. The butterfly larvae measure 12 cm in length and 3 cm in thickness. The wings and abdomen of Queen Alexandra's birdwing are dark brown and white with cream or yellow patterns. Currently, this one of the largest butterflies in the world is prohibited from catching and selling, since the number of this species is small.

3. PEACOCK EYE HERCULES – NIGHT BUTTERFLY OF THE PEACOCK EYE FAMILY

Next... The Hercules peacock-eye is a nocturnal butterfly of the peacock-eye family. It lives in the tropical forests of Australia and the islands of New Guinea. The wingspan of female butterflies can reach 27 cm. The area of ​​​​its wings - the largest among butterflies - reaches 262 cm2.

The swallowtail antimach is a large day butterfly from the swallowtail family. The wingspan of this butterfly, named after the hero of Greek mythology, reaches 25 cm. Females are larger than males. The Antimach swallowtail lives in the rainforests of Africa. Females most often live in the treetops. This one of the largest butterflies has a red-yellow, orange and even ocher background on its wings, on which dark brown spots form a pattern.

5.ATTACUS ATLAS – BUTTERFLY OF THE PEACOCK EYES FAMILY

Attacus atlas is a butterfly of the Peacock-eye family. It lives in tropical and subtropical forests of China, Thailand, and Indonesia. The wingspan of this large butterfly can reach 24 cm. In India, Attacus atlas caterpillars are cultivated and used to produce silk.

Attacus Atlas is a giant moth with a wingspan exceeding 25cm, one of the largest in the world. The butterfly has an unusual design: on the main velvet-brown background there are pink stains and transparent triangular windows. The female and male differ markedly in the size and shape of their wings. The male is smaller (span 18-20cm) and the ends of the upper wings have a sharpened shape, the female has larger rounded wings and a span of 24-26cm.

The male also has wider and larger antennae than the female. Even in the pupal stage, if you look closely, the difference in the size of the antennae is clearly visible and this is one of the few species in which at the pupal stage it is possible to distinguish a female from a male. The genus Attacus has a habitat from East India to New Guinea. The diet of atlas caterpillars is quite large, so the full cycle of the butterfly is quite easy to reproduce at home. True, caterpillars in the final stages of development are incredibly voracious and can eat 100 times their weight in a day. The length of the caterpillars at the last stage reaches 10 cm.

Attacus atlas is often found in collections. Many specimens were bred from pupae on farms and therefore retained their original beauty. In butterflies born in natural habitats, the wings are often damaged already in the first hours of flight.

Fluttering flowers - butterflies rightfully deserve this poetic name. Intricate patterns on the thinnest wings, combinations of bright colors pleasing to the eye - nature has once again shown extraordinary design skills by creating such marvelous creatures.

The butterfly is one of the most mysterious creatures of nature. Such a wonderful transformation cannot be invented on purpose. From an unsightly larva emerges a real beauty with painted wings.

Today there are about 165,000 species of butterflies around the globe.

The curious world has prepared for you material about giant butterflies, the size of which amazes the imagination.

1. Tizania Agrippina

Moth. The largest butterfly in the world lives in Brazil and Peru. It is one of the endangered insects. Its wingspan is 30.8 centimeters. It is also called scoop agrippina.

2. Queen Alexandra's Ornithoptera or Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Day butterfly. She received her name in honor of the wife of the British King Edward VII. The wingspan is up to 31 cm with a body length of about 8 cm. Such a creature can weigh up to 12 grams. The giant butterfly is found exclusively in the forests of the Oro province of Papua New Guinea. Unfortunately, the species is on the verge of extinction.

3. Peacock-eye "Hercules"

Moth from a monotypic genus ( Coscinocera) in the peacock eye family. One of the largest butterflies in the world, and the largest in Australia; The wingspan of females can reach 27 cm.

4. Peacock eye “Atlas”

The butterfly received the name “atlas” from the ancient Greek mythical hero Atlas, or Atlas. He held the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Only a very large butterfly could receive this name. The wingspan of the atlas is up to 26 centimeters. Cultivated in India. Its caterpillars produce excellent silk.

5. Sailboat "Antimachus"

This is the largest diurnal butterfly in Africa. The wingspan is up to 24 cm. This butterfly lives in tropical rainforests from the west coast of Sierra Leone to Uganda. Despite its extensive habitat, this species is not numerous. The butterfly is considered rare because it flies exclusively in virgin rain forests, which are in danger of extinction due to massive deforestation. Unfortunately, it is very poisonous. Only three countries: Ghana, Ivory Coast and Zaire have taken measures to protect the antimach.

6. Birdwing “Goliath”

Large day butterfly of the Swallowtail family. The wingspan of males is up to 20 cm, females up to 22 cm. The color of males consists of 3 primary colors - green, yellow, black. The color of females is brown-brown, with light spots, the lower wings have a wide gray-yellow border.

It lives in the mountain tropical forests of the Moluccas archipelago, from Soram Island to Goodenow Island off the southeastern coast of New Guinea, at an altitude of up to 2300 m above sea level. There are currently 7 known subspecies of goliath.

7. Trogonoptera Trojan

A large daytime butterfly from the Swallowtail family. The specific name means “Trojan”, “originally from Troy”.

The wingspan is up to 19 cm. The female is slightly larger or the same size as the male. It lives only on the island of Palawan.

8. Ornithoptera cresus

Large day butterfly of the Swallowtail family. The species binomial name is given in honor of Croesus, the last king of Lydia in 560-546 BC. e. from the Mermnad family.

The wingspan is up to 19 cm. Males are characterized by an orange-yellow coloration of the wings, combined with black “inserts”. When illuminated from the side, the wings flash a greenish-yellow glow.

The discoverer of the butterfly, naturalist Alfred Wallace, recalled his first discovery of a male moose on the island of Bachai: “The beauty of this butterfly cannot be expressed in words and no one except a naturalist will understand the deep excitement that I experienced when I finally caught it. When I took her out of the net and spread her majestic wings, my heart began to beat, the blood rushed to my head, I was then closer to fainting than in those moments when I was in danger of death. All that day I had a headache: the excitement was so great...”

9. Saturnia Madagascar or Madagascar comet

This butterfly is also called the Moon moth - a luxurious night butterfly of the family peacock eye. It is one of the world record holders for wing size.

This nocturnal beauty can only be seen in Madagascar. This species is endangered, so in Madagascar these magnificent butterflies are successfully bred on special farms.

Having given the butterfly such a bright appearance, Mother Nature saved on life support systems: peacock butterflies do not have a mouthparts or a digestive tract, so the Madagascar comet lives only 2-3 days from the reserves of nutrients accumulated by the caterpillar.

The wingspan is up to 18 cm. The wings are decorated with unusually long tails, sometimes reaching 20 cm. The tails often fall off after several flights.

The wings are bright yellow. On each wing there is one large brown “eye” with a black dot in the center. The tips of the wings have a brown-black spot.

10. Golden Birdwing or Troides

One of the largest diurnal butterflies in South Asia. Its wingspan is about 16 cm. Thanks to its size and flight style, it got its name - Birdwing. Indeed, the flight of Troides is more like the flight of a bird than the fluttering of a butterfly. Its golden-yellow, translucent and pearlescent hind wings shine like the Sun and fill the atmosphere with the energy of light and joy. And this energy is really noticeable when you hold this beautiful butterfly on your hand, because it is not for nothing that among Asian peoples the Golden Birdwing is considered a symbol of financial well-being!

The Troides butterfly is a rather rare species and has long been listed in the Red Book. In the wild, in the homeland of the Troides butterfly (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia), it is very difficult to see this golden-winged flyer, because Troides primarily live deep in tropical forests.

11. Peacock-eye Pear

This butterfly is also called the large night peacock eye, or Saturnia pear - a butterfly from the Peacock-eye family. The largest moth in terms of wingspan in Europe and Russia.

The wingspan is up to 15 cm. Females are larger than males. On the upper side of both pairs of wings there is one large eye with a black center and a brown rim around it. There is also a white border and a reddish ring around the eye. There is a light stripe along the edge of the wings, followed by a black stripe, closer to the base of the wing, interrupted only at the top of the front wings.

It is found in Southern and Central Europe, to the southwestern part of Russia, in the Caucasus, Asia Minor and in Iran, Crimea.

Landscapes with a large number of shrubs and trees, forest edges, parks, gardens, fruit plantations.

12. Ornithoptera Chimera

The wingspan is up to 15 cm. This butterfly flies very well, making extraordinary turns in the air, gliding and diving in search of nectar. Pollinates hibiscus.

The ornithopter chimera is widespread on the islands of New Guinea and Java in tropical rainforests at an altitude of 1200-1800 m above sea level.

13. Maak's sailboat or Mak's tail carrier

A significant part of the black forewing of the male shimmers with a green dotted coating, which, closer to the edge, thickens into a sparse emerald-blue border. The area free from green coating shines with magical black silk: it is covered with the finest and most delicate fragrant black hairs - androconia. The hind wings with a wavy edge and long tails shine with an iridescent blue-green pattern.

The wingspan of the female reaches 13.5 cm.

The green dotted coating evenly covers the entire dark brown forewing of the female. The pattern of its hind wings is the same as that of the male, but its shine is muted, and in the marginal wavy border, along with green-blue, red-violet shades also appear. Females are much more variable than males. Among them it is difficult to find two identical butterflies.

This largest daytime butterfly in Russia surpasses many of its tropical relatives in its beauty. It’s hard to believe that the distribution area of ​​this wonderful sailboat extends to 54° north latitude, where Tynda and northern Sakhalin are located. The Maaka tail-bearer lives in the Middle Amur region, Primorye, North Korea, Manchuria, and the Kuril Islands. In these places, butterflies are often found in broad-leaved and mixed forests, less often in spruce-fir forests. They also fly into taiga villages. During the period when subalpine plants bloom, butterflies rise into the mountains up to 2000 m above sea level: looking for food, they fly around treeless peaks in a circle.

14. Urania Madagascar

The wingspan is 10.5 cm. This species of butterfly is characteristic only of Madagascar. Flies during the day and feeds on flower nectar. Butterflies can be seen all year round, with their numbers increasing especially from May to July. Her wings, despite the apparent lack of color at the tips, play with the various colors of the rainbow.

The peacock eye Attacus Atlas can rightfully bear the title of “The largest butterfly in the world.” The wingspan of this representative of lepidoptera reaches 300 mm. The peacock eye is a nocturnal species, as it is most active during the twilight and night time.

Atlas Attacus. Habitat

The largest butterfly is found in Southeast Asia. It is found in Thailand, where it received the name “Snake Head Moth”, in southern China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The most comfortable habitats for these butterflies are the forests of the tropics and subtropics. This large butterfly is bred on specialized farms in India. The silk produced by Atlas is called fagar silk and differs from mulberry in higher quality. Its distinctive properties are high strength and durability. In addition, the silk produced by this butterfly has the greatest wooliness, which is an undoubted advantage over other types of natural silk.

Appearance

The largest butterfly in the world has a rather predatory coloration. Her outfit includes shades of red, gold, chocolate brown, pink and cream. At the top of the front wing there is a bright burgundy stripe. If you look at the butterfly from the side, the color of its wings and their curved shape resemble the head of a snake. Considering the butterfly's defenselessness, this is its most advantageous method of escape from insectivorous predators. The color of the female's wings is not much different from the color of the male, but the females are much more massive. In addition, unlike females, whose antennae are much thinner and smaller, the male’s antennae are amazingly sensitive - they sense pheromones emitted by females from several tens of hundreds of meters away.

Stages of development

Atlas caterpillars grow more than one decimeter in length. The caterpillars eat leaves of ligustrum, clerodendrum, ricinum, apple and citrus fruits as food. The butterfly pupa reaches enormous sizes and weighs up to 10 grams for the male and up to 12 grams for the female. The size of the cocoon in which the pupa develops is so large that in some countries, for example, in Thailand, wallets are made from it. It is a very interesting sight when the largest butterfly in the world is born. Following the antennae, the head and legs of the imago appear from the bursting cocoon, and only then the wings. In the first moments, the wings are still small, curled, but gradually they stretch out and unfold until they reach their real size. The butterfly is ready to make its first flight as soon as its wings dry. Before this, she cannot fly and is most vulnerable.

Adult life and breeding

The largest butterfly in the world lives only for a couple of weeks. Its oral cavity is completely atrophied, and the giant nymphalid cannot feed. Throughout its life, the adult lives off the fat that it accumulated while it was in the caterpillar stage. The short lifespan of the world's largest butterfly is the biggest challenge when breeding it in captivity. If during this period it is not possible to find a partner, the butterfly does not have time to lay eggs and leave offspring.