Lemongrass butterfly: species, photos and descriptions, lifestyle and habitat. Lemongrass butterfly - the first spring insect Butterfly li

The butterfly belongs to the class insects, phylum arthropods, order Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera).

The Russian name “butterfly” comes from the Old Slavonic word “babъka”, which denoted the concept of “old woman” or “grandmother”. In the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, it was believed that these were the souls of the dead, so people treated them with respect.

Butterfly: description and photo. The structure and appearance of butterflies

The structure of the butterfly has two main sections - the body, protected by a hard chitinous shell, and the wings.

A butterfly is an insect whose body consists of:

• Head, inactively connected to the chest. The butterfly's head has a round shape with a slightly flattened occipital part. The round or oval convex eyes of the butterfly in the form of hemispheres, occupying most of the lateral surface of the head, have a complex facet structure. Butterflies have color vision and perceive moving objects better than stationary ones. In many species, additional simple parietal eyes are located behind the antennae. The structure of the oral apparatus depends on the species and can be of the sucking or gnawing type.

• Breasts with a three-segment structure. The front part is significantly smaller than the middle and back part, where three pairs of legs are located, which have a structure characteristic of insects. On the shins of the butterfly's front legs there are spurs designed to maintain the hygiene of the antennae.
• The abdomen has the shape of an elongated cylinder, consisting of ten ring-shaped segments with spiracles located on them.

Butterfly structure

The antennae of the butterfly are located on the border of the parietal and frontal parts of the head. They help butterflies navigate their surroundings by sensing air vibrations and various odors.

The length and structure of the antennae depend on the species.

Two pairs of butterfly wings, covered with flat scales of different shapes, have a membranous structure and are penetrated by transverse and longitudinal veins. The size of the hind wings can be the same as the front wings or significantly smaller. The pattern of butterfly wings varies from species to species and captivates with its beauty.

In macro photography, the scales on the wings of butterflies are very clearly visible - they can have completely different shapes and color.

Butterfly wings - macro photography

The appearance and coloring of a butterfly’s wings serve not only for intraspecific sexual recognition, but also act as protective camouflage, allowing it to blend into its surroundings. Therefore, colors can be either monochrome or variegated with a complex pattern.

The size of a butterfly, or better said, the wingspan of a butterfly, can range from 2 mm to 31 cm.

Classification and types of butterflies

The large order of Lepidoptera includes more than 158 thousand representatives. There are several systems for classifying 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:

1) Primary toothed moths. These are small butterflies, the wingspan of which ranges from 4 to 15 mm, with oral apparatus gnawing type and antennae, which 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 ( Micropteryx calthella);
• marigold smallwing ( Micropteryx calthella).

2) 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).

3) Heterobathmyas, represented by one family Heterobathmiidae.

4) Proboscis butterflies, which make up the largest suborder, consisting of several dozen families, which include more than 150 thousand species of butterflies. Appearance and the sizes of representatives of this suborder are very diverse. Below are several families demonstrating the diversity of proboscis butterflies.

• Family Sailboats, represented by the average 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 various shapes, clearly visible on a white or yellow background. The most famous of them are:
  1. Swallowtail butterfly;
  2. Sailboat "Glory of Bhutan";
  3. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing and others.

Swallowtail butterfly

• Family Nymphalidae, characteristic feature which is the absence of thickened veins on wide angular wings with variegated colors and various patterns. The wingspan of butterflies varies from 50 to 130 mm. Representatives of this family are:
  1. Butterfly Admiral;
  2. Day peacock butterfly;
  3. Butterfly hives;
  4. Mourning butterfly, etc.

Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)

Day peacock butterfly

Urticaria butterfly (Aglais urticae)

There are species of butterflies that do not have a mouthparts: to maintain life, they use up those reserves nutrients, which were accumulated in the caterpillar stage.

These butterflies include the Madagascar comet, whose wingspan is 14-16 cm. The lifespan of this butterfly is 2-3 days.

There are also “vampires” among butterflies. For example, males of some cutworm species maintain their strength thanks to the blood and tear fluid of animals.

This is the vampire butterfly (lat. Calyptra).

Stages of butterfly reproduction. Transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly

Most butterflies have complex forms of courtship during the mating season, expressed in flights and dances. The mating process, during which the female receives from the male, in addition to sperm, a supply of necessary microelements and proteins, sometimes drags on for several hours.

Caterpillar turns into butterfly

The life cycle of a butterfly consists of 4 phases (stages):

• Eggs

The life of a butterfly begins with an egg. Depending on the species and tribal affiliation the butterfly lays eggs on leaves or branches of plants. This can be up to 1000 fertilized eggs that are round, cylindrical or egg-shaped. The color of the eggs can be white, greenish, yellow, red, sometimes with a pattern. This stage of the butterfly’s life lasts between 8-15 days.

Butterfly eggs

• Caterpillar (larva)

At this stage, the insect has a worm-like shape. Mouthparts of gnawing type caterpillars. A special feature of the caterpillar is the presence of special glands that produce a substance that quickly hardens upon contact with air and forms something like a strong silk thread. Butterfly caterpillars feed mainly on plant foods: fruits, flowers and leaves of plants. However, there are caterpillars whose diet consists of wool, horny substances and even wax.

Caterpillar

• doll

Depending on the species, the pupa may have an elongated cylindrical or even round shape. A plain cocoon sometimes has a pattern formed by stripes, dots and spots. At this stage of development, the butterfly already has rudimentary wings, a proboscis and legs.

• Imago (adult, butterfly)

Depending on the species, the lifespan of a butterfly can range from several hours to 10 months. The adult is already capable of reproduction and dispersal, which are its main functions.

What do butterflies do in winter?

It is noteworthy that butterflies winter in different ways. There are species of butterflies that, having left the pupa, live only during the summer and die with the onset of cold weather. Some wait out the winter in the egg stage, but most do so as pupa. There are species that meet the cold as adult insects and hide from them in tree hollows or deep cracks in the bark. These are urticaria, burdock and lemongrass.

Lemongrass butterfly

But there are also exceptions to the rules.

Some representatives of lepidoptera prefer to leave their habitats without waiting for the onset of unfavorable conditions. They just fly to more warm regions. The most famous "travelers" are the oleander hawk moth and the monarch.

The benefits and harms of butterflies

It is noteworthy that butterflies bring both great benefit and harm to agriculture. In the caterpillar stage, they destroy leaves on fruit trees, which leads to loss of harvest. At the same time, adult butterflies help cross-pollinate and self-pollinate plants. Both caterpillars and adults serve as food for many birds. And about the benefits silkworm and there is no need to say - this is a manufacturer of natural silk.

• The Saturnia butterfly's caterpillar is so poisonous that the toxins it produces can kill humans.
• The migratory monarch butterfly is capable of covering up to 1000 km in one flight without stopping to rest.
• Butterflies do not sleep at night because they do not need sleep.
• During the flight to short distances Hawkmoths can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.
• The baby moth is the smallest butterfly with wings measuring 2 mm.
• Madagascar hawk moths have the most long proboscis, whose length is 28 cm.
• The size of the wings of the butterfly Tisania agrippina reaches 31 cm.
• The peacock butterfly's sense of smell is very developed: it can smell it at a distance of 10 km.

Origin of the species and description

Lemongrass belongs to the family (Pieridae). It also contains pests such as reptiles, but lemongrass itself is not considered a pest, since their caterpillars feed mainly on buckthorn. That’s why they have another name – wreckers. Whitefish belong to the order Lepidoptera. As evidenced by the findings of paleoantologists, the first representatives of the order inhabited the planet at the beginning Jurassic period– the age of the oldest remains found is approximately 190 million years.

Video: Butterfly lemongrass

TO Cretaceous period When flowering plants spread more and more across the planet, Lepidoptera also flourished. They acquired a well-developed mouthparts, and their wings also developed more strongly. At the same time, the formation of a long proboscis occurred, intended for sucking nectar. The number of lepidopteran species became more and more numerous, larger ones appeared, the length of their life in the form of adults increased - they reached a real heyday. Although in our time the diversity of this order is also amazing, it contains many dissimilar species.

Interesting fact: Butterflies change four forms during their life: first an egg, then a larva, a pupa and, finally, an adult butterfly with wings. All these forms are strikingly different from each other, and imago is the name of the latter.

Lepidoptera rapidly evolved along with flowering plants. By the Paleogene, most of the modern families, including whites. The appearance of modern lemongrass dates back to the same time. Gradually, new species of them continued to appear, and this process is still not completed.

The genus Schisandra includes from 10 to 14 species; researchers have not yet reached a consensus on the exact classification of some. The difference between species is mainly expressed in size and color intensity. Further, in all cases, unless otherwise stated, we will be talking about lemongrass, described by Carl Linnaeus in the fundamental work “System of Nature,” which appeared in 1758.

There are several more well-known and common types:

• Cleopatra, living in the Mediterranean;
• Aminta, the largest - its wingspan reaches 80 mm, is found in Southeast Asia;
• aspasia - Far Eastern butterflies, on the contrary, small (30 mm) and very brightly colored.

Appearance and features

In its form, the imago has elongated front wings and rounded hind wings - both have a pointed end. The hind wings are slightly longer and can reach 35 mm. The color allows lemongrass to camouflage well: if they fold their wings while sitting on a tree or bush, it is difficult for predators to notice them from afar.

Females and males differ primarily in the color of their wings: in males they are bright yellow, which is where the name of these butterflies comes from, and in females they are white with green tint. There is a small orange spot in the middle of the wings.

They have faceted eyes and a round head, as well as a very long proboscis, with the help of which they can extract nectar even from very complex flowers. There are three pairs of walking legs; with their help, lemongrass moves along the surface of the plant. There are four pairs of wings.

Sizes vary greatly depending on the species, with a wingspan typically around 55mm. In representatives of the largest species it can reach 80 mm, and in small lemongrass it is only 30 mm. The caterpillars do not stand out externally: they are green to match the foliage, they are covered with small black dots.

Interesting fact: If it’s not very hot, then as soon as the sun disappears behind the clouds, the lemongrass strives to land on the nearest flower or tree - to fly without straight lines. sun rays It is very difficult for her because the temperature must be maintained at a high temperature to fly.

Where does the lemongrass butterfly live?

The habitat is very wide, it includes:

• most of Europe;
• Middle East;
• Northern;
• Southeast Asia;
• Canary Islands;
• Madeira Island.

These butterflies are not found in Ciscaucasia, beyond the Arctic Circle, and they are also not found on the island of Crete. They are very widespread, you can meet them from and to Vladivostok. Capable of living in harsh conditions natural conditions, almost to the Arctic Circle.

First of all, their habitat is determined by the distribution of buckthorn as the main source of food for the caterpillars, although they are also capable of eating other plants. While the common lemongrass is widespread, other species can live in a very limited area; there are several endemics living in the Canary Islands and Madeira.

It is curious that these butterflies do not live in, preferring thickets of bushes, various gardens, parks, edges and woodlands - the main areas where they can be found, since lemongrass also does not settle in dense areas. They also live in, but not too high - they are no longer above 2,500 meters above sea level. If necessary, they can fly long distances to find the most convenient area for habitation.

Now you know where the yellow, bright butterfly lives. Let's see now what does the lemongrass butterfly eat??

What does the lemongrass butterfly eat?

In the form of an imago - nectar.

Among the plants whose nectar attracts lemongrass:

• primroses;
• cornflowers;
• Sivets;
• thistle;
• dandelion;
• thistle;
• coltsfoot;
• liverwort.

Wildflowers predominate among preferences, although garden lemongrass also drinks the nectar. Thanks to their long proboscis, they can even feed on nectar that is inaccessible to almost all other butterflies - for example, the same primrose. For many spring plants, it is vital that they are pollinated by lemongrass, because there are almost no other butterflies at this time. The larva feeds on buckthorns, like laxative buckthorn, zoster and others.

They eat the leaf from the middle to the edge in a few days, growing quickly, and by the time they get to the outside of the leaf, molting is already over. They do not cause much harm to buckthorn, and are almost harmless to cultivated plants, with a few exceptions: caterpillars can feed on the foliage of plants such as cabbage, rutabaga, turnips, horseradish, radish or turnips. But cases when they harm plantings are very rare, since lemongrass eggs are usually laid in thickets and on forest edges.

Interesting fact: The lemongrass chooses which flower to sit on not by the smell they emit, but by the color. These butterflies are most attracted to blue and red flowers.

Features of character and lifestyle

They are active during the day and fly only when it is sunny. They love warm weather very much, and in the spring, if it’s cool, they often freeze for a long time, folding their wings at a right angle and trying to catch as many sun rays as possible - first one side is exposed to them, and then the other. As soon as evening comes and it becomes less light, they begin to look for a convenient place to spend the night - usually thickets of bushes are used for this. They land on a branch deep in the thickets and, folding their wings, become almost indistinguishable from the surrounding greenery.

Unlike most other butterflies, which do not spend much time in flight due to the large expenditure of energy on it, lemongrass is very hardy and can fly for most of the day, covering long distances. At the same time, they are able to rise to great heights. Since they live a long time by the standards of butterflies, they need to conserve their vitality - therefore, if conditions become less favorable, for example, rainy weather sets in and it gets colder, then even in the middle of summer they can begin diapause. When it gets warm again, lemongrass wakes up.

Interesting fact: Diapause is a period when the butterfly's metabolism becomes much slower, it stops moving and becomes much more resistant to external influences.

Lemongrass is one of the first to appear - in warm regions starting in March. But these are butterflies living for the second year; they lay eggs in the spring, after which they die. Young individuals appear in early summer, and in mid-autumn they go to spend the winter to “thaw out” in the spring. That is, the life expectancy of lemongrass in the form of an imago is about nine months - for day butterflies this is quite a lot, and in Europe they even hold the record for longevity.

For the winter they hide deeper in the thickets. They are not afraid of frosts: the increased retention of glycerol and polypeptides allows them to remain alive in hibernation even at an air temperature of -40 ° C, especially since it is usually much warmer in the shelter, especially if it is under snow. On the contrary, thaws are dangerous for them: if they wake up, they spend a lot of energy flying, and since there are no flowers yet, they cannot renew their supply. When there is a sharp cold snap, they simply do not have time to find a new shelter and hibernate again - and die.

Social structure and reproduction

They live alone, and only in mating season fly in pairs. It falls in the spring, and the initiative belongs to the males, who perform a simple mating ritual: when they meet a suitable female, they fly after her for a short distance. Then the male and female descend onto the bush and mate.

After this, the female looks for a place near the buckthorn shoots so that the larvae have enough food, and lays eggs, one or two on each leaf, up to a hundred in total. They are held in place by a sticky secretion. It takes a week or two for the eggs to mature, and by the beginning of summer the larva appears. After its appearance, it begins to absorb the leaf - in the form of a caterpillar, lemongrass is very voracious and eats almost all the time, growing from 1.5 to 35 mm. The time it takes to grow depends on the weather - the warmer and drier it is, the faster the caterpillar will reach the right size and will go through all the molting. This usually takes 3-5 weeks.

Then she pupates. The time spent in the form of a pupa depends on the climate and is 10-20 days - the warmer it is, the faster the butterfly will appear. Having got out of the cocoon, it spends a little time just hovering to spread its wings and let them get stronger, and then it can fly freely - the individual immediately appears as an adult and fully adapted to life. In total, all stages of development take from 40 to 60 days, and an adult butterfly lives another 270 days, although it spends a significant part of this time in hibernation.

Natural enemies of lemongrass butterflies

There are many of them: danger threatens lemongrass at any stage of development, because there are people who like to feast on them in any form. It’s easiest for adult butterflies, since predators still need to catch them; there are no such problems with other forms.

Among the enemies of lemongrass:

• birds;
• ants;
• many other insects.

There are more than enough predators that feed on butterflies, but their most terrible enemies are birds. They most often eat caterpillars, because they are nutritious prey that do not need to be hunted. In total, birds destroy on average about a quarter of the caterpillars. Some birds also attack adults - most often lying in wait for them when they are resting or drinking nectar.

The easiest way for them is to hit the prey with its beak when it sits down and kill it, then separate the wings from it and eat the body. Although some are dexterous enough to grab butterflies on the fly, for example, swallows do just that. But for imagoes, birds and predators in general are not so dangerous - they can fly away, and their protective color helps, making them difficult to notice when they are resting. It’s much more difficult for caterpillars: they are hunted by many more predators, including small ones, which are too tough for adult butterflies - and they are unable to fly away or escape. In addition, although the caterpillars also have a protective color, their eaten leaves give them away.

Population and species status

Although caterpillars are quite picky about food, the plants they prefer are widespread, so lemongrass is not in danger. Of course, human activity could not but affect them - the area occupied by buckthorn shrubs has noticeably decreased in the last century, and pesticides are also actively used - but the reduction in the number of butterflies is not yet critical.

There are still a lot of lemongrass, but this applies to the entire planet, and in some areas there is still a strong drop in the population of these butterflies. Thus, in the Netherlands, the question of recognizing them as an endangered species at the local level and corresponding protection was raised. But the genus as a whole has not been given protected status - its wide range allows us not to worry about its survival. There are many lemongrass in Russia; they can be found throughout most of the country. Although some species have a much narrower range and smaller population, and sooner or later they may be in danger of extinction.

This applies primarily to two species - endemic Canary Islands, Gonepteryx cleobule and palmae. The latter inhabit exclusively the island of Palma. Another species, Gonepteryx maderensis, endemic to the island of Madeira, is under protection because the population of these butterflies has declined significantly in recent decades. In addition, species of lemongrass that have not yet been described due to their rarity may live in corners of our planet remote from civilization.

Lemongrass are harmless, one of the first to fly in the spring and play a large role in the pollination of spring flowers. They are not as widespread as urticaria, but they are also common and live in most of the territory of Russia. Bright yellow lemongrass butterfly– one of the decorations of the warm season.

The lemongrass butterfly is described for schoolchildren in this article.

Butterfly lemongrass description for children

The lemongrass butterfly is beautiful and unusual. The lemongrass butterfly differs from others in the color and shape of its wings, which appear to be cut off. It can be seen in the spring with the warm rays of the sun. That's why it is also called the first spring butterfly. Although there are cases that due to warm weather these butterflies wake up already in January.

The second time lemongrass comes to life at the end of July and flutters right up until autumn. With the onset of cold weather, she finds warm, secluded places for wintering. Despite the fact that she flies twice a year, she produces only one generation. Therefore, they lay eggs only once a year. Caterpillars feed on a wider range of plants than others and do not refuse to feast on nectar to replenish energy reserves for the future process of pupal formation.

Lemongrass lives throughout Europe and Asia. It can even be found in the very north of Africa. Among large quantity Lemongrass butterflies are considered a real long-liver - they can live as long as 13 months, but spend most of them in a dormant state (they like to sleep on ivy).

The forewings of males are greenish-yellow, while females are white with a green tint. Males and females also have a small orange spot in the center of each wing. It is the wings that distinguish the sex of a butterfly. It is interesting that lemongrass, unlike other butterflies, lands exclusively with closed wings.

Bright fluttering butterflies can leave few people indifferent. Smoothly circling over a flower meadow, they fascinate with their beauty and deeply touch the strings of the human soul. In addition to beauty, these extraordinary insects are interesting for their behavior and vital features. In this article we will share with readers unusual stories from the life of butterflies. In our material we have collected a variety of interesting facts about butterflies. Such information will be especially educational for primary schoolchildren and children. The information can be used in class or simply told to children in order to expand the knowledge of the world around little researchers.

Who are butterflies?

Butterflies are lepidopteran insects. This means that on their wings there are many small scales, which, by refracting sunlight at different angles, forming a characteristic pattern.

Children often confuse scales with pollen. They try to shake off and clean the wings of the insect. In fact, you should never do this. If they crumple, she will not be able to fly and will die.

But in nature there are also butterflies without wings. These are species such as steppe and common willow. They live in a cocoon and feed on what the caterpillars have managed to store.

There are also butterflies that can dive. These are insects like underwater moths. Interesting facts about butterflies for 2nd grade children can be used in science lessons. It will still be difficult for preschoolers to understand the features of the physiology of insects. But teaching children to respect nature can and should be done at any age.

Butterflies have three pairs of legs and a long proboscis, which, if necessary, turns into a full-fledged feeding organ. These lepidopterans are plant pollinators, just like bees. Besides, they never sleep. Some attract attention with their unusual bright colors, while others, on the contrary, are camouflaged. For example, the lemongrass butterfly looks like a leaf. Interesting facts about this beauty can be found below.

Butterflies live all over the world except Antarctica. But the lifespan of these insects is short: from several days to six months, depending on the species.

The science that studies butterflies is called lepidopterology.

What do butterflies eat?

Depending on the species, insects can feed on flower nectar, sap from trees and rotten fruits. Some people prefer tears and animal droppings. At certain times, they are not averse to eating mud, thanks to which they can stock up on minerals. And the Calyptra butterfly feeds on the blood of cattle. In addition, some subspecies can suck and drink blood from an open wound, while others are even able to pierce the skin on their own using a sharp proboscis.

These interesting facts about butterflies can be presented in game form even the youngest children.

The magic of birth

Until now, not a single scientist has been able to explain all the metamorphoses that occur in Interesting facts about butterflies can be told by telling about the stages of the appearance of such an unusual insect. Thus, a butterfly goes through several stages of formation: egg - caterpillar (larva) - pupa - adult.

A sexually mature female most often lays eggs on tree leaves. Some species protect their offspring by burying eggs in the ground, others cover them with their own scales, and others have the ability to produce special mucus.

Depending on the type of insect and external factors The caterpillar eggs can hatch within a few days or months. This period is characterized by the fact that the insect actively feeds, stocking up on necessary substances.

During the molting process, morphological changes occur - the insect turns into a pupa. Butterflies protect their peace in different ways: some weave cocoons from a silk thread that they themselves produce, others build a “house” from grains of sand and earth, and still others from their own cuticle.

Fluttering beauties are born with wet wings not spread. Therefore, at the moment of hatching from the pupa, it is extremely important for butterflies to have support in the form of a twig - by grasping it with their paws, the insects dry out and spread their wings. After which they can safely take their first flight.

We recommend bringing up such interesting facts about butterflies for children while walking in the park or on a street in the spring. summer cottage. You can consolidate your theoretical knowledge by observing the development of an insect from larva to adult butterfly on walks.

Butterflies in mythology

Interesting facts about butterflies, their origin and people’s attitude towards these insects can be learned by getting acquainted with archaeological artifacts. Butterflies are the most ancient insects. Excavations have uncovered remains that are 150 million years old. There are about 160,000 species of these unusual representatives of the fauna.

In ancient times, butterflies, like everything mysterious and unsolved, were simultaneously admired and feared. Unusual insect provoked the mystification and deification of such a creature.

During excavations, frescoes of ancient Egyptians were found depicting butterflies. In those days people identified human life with this insect.

For some peoples, a butterfly is a harbinger of happiness, joy, and love. Others believe that the fluttering insect is the souls of dead people, the embodiment of demons and witches.

In ancient Greek myths, butterflies are found in the role of Psyche - a girl who personifies human soul, and the Scandinavian peoples came up with elves - kind people with butterfly wings. In India, the butterfly was considered the progenitor of the whole world. And Buddha dedicated an entire sermon to this insect. In many beliefs, the butterfly represents rebirth and immortality.

Such interesting facts from the life of butterflies will interest not only children, but also adults.

Folk signs

People use the behavior of butterflies to predict the weather. So, if the hives are hidden, it will rain soon. IN rainy weather flies - to be warm.

If butterflies flutter over a person, it means good news and happiness.

A butterfly flew into the window - not good, you definitely need to release the insect into the wild.

Traditions

Today you won’t surprise guests with butterfly fireworks at a wedding or anniversary. It turns out that it’s been more than one hundred years! It originated in Japan. The lightness and charm of insects was compared with the art of a geisha. Therefore, butterflies at a wedding were considered a wish for the bride to comprehend female wisdom. A pair of butterflies symbolized strong marriage. These interesting facts about butterflies have long been taken into account by modern wedding organizers, offering young people to decorate their holiday with live and artificial butterflies.

Modern Chinese weddings are not complete without the symbol of a butterfly: before the wedding, the groom gives the bride a decoration in the form of this insect as a symbol of love and care.

Butterflies began to be specially bred at the court of Louis XIV. In the king's winter garden one could find insects of the most varied colors and types.

Record breakers

The most interesting facts about record-breaking butterflies:

1. The largest representative of the species is Tisania agrippina. Its wingspan is almost 31 cm. Slightly smaller than the Birdwing. Its dimensions reach 28 cm.
2. The smallest is the Malyutka moth. Its open wings are 2 mm long.
3. The longest proboscis is that of Hawk Moths. In a species living in Madagascar, the length of this organ is 28 cm.
4. The most common butterfly in the world is the Vanessa Cardi butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.
5. The loudest squeak is made by the disturbed Death's Head of the Hawkmoth family.
6. Peacock-Eyes have a keenly developed sense of smell. They can detect scent at a distance of 10 km.
7. Hawkmoths fly the fastest.
8. The heaviest representative of butterflies is Boisduval.

Lemongrass butterfly: interesting facts

In our latitudes you can find lemongrass, which belongs to the Belyanok family. It is very difficult to notice in the foliage, since the color resembles a tree leaf. You can often see children surprised by the unusual flight of the “leaf”. This color is a protective camouflage.

One more interesting feature lemongrass is the fact that it never lands with its wings open. If a butterfly is disturbed, it will fold its wings and legs and then fall down, thus masquerading as a twig or fallen leaf. She is a long-liver, as she can live for more than a year.

We told you just some interesting facts about butterflies. It is important for children to learn that butterflies are extraordinary creatures. Each species has its own characteristics and inexplicable abilities. They fascinate and inspire. It should be emphasized that it is impossible to destroy such beautiful creatures for fun or a passing hobby. From the very early age adults should explain to kids the importance of such a small creature as a butterfly in the world around them.

On our website you can also find information on morphology, physiology and ecology of diurnal butterflies: etymology of the name, total number of butterflies, size of butterflies, morphology of butterflies: body structure, structure of butterfly wings, internal organs, pigments and coloring of butterfly wings, color polymorphism, physiology of butterflies: flight, nutrition, reproduction, life cycle of butterflies, pupa and imago, distribution of butterflies, ecology of butterflies, territorial behavior and migrations of butterflies, relationships with other organisms, protection from predators, the role of butterflies in nature, taxonomy and classification of butterflies, protection of Lepidoptera, Lepidoptera and humans, economic importance of butterflies, Lepidoptera in human culture.

Lemongrass
Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)
Brimstone

Origin of the name. Rhamnus (from Latin) – zoster, one of the caterpillar’s ​​food plants

Synonyms. White buckthorn, common lemongrass, buckthorn, = Papilio rhamni Linnaeus, 1758.

Appearance. Lemongrass, which resembles a leaf when resting, is one of the longest-living butterflies in the world and the longest-living diurnal butterfly in Europe. Males are bright yellow, with an orange-red spot on each wing. Female lemongrass is paler, but with the same spots. The apex of the fore wings is serrated. In the center of the outer edge of the hind wings there is a serrated protrusion.

Dimensions. The wingspan is up to 6 cm. The length of the front wing is 26-31 mm.

Species range. Northwestern Africa, Europe, the Caucasus with Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western and Southern Siberia east to the Baikal region, Mongolia.

Distribution across Russian regions. Volga-Don, East Caucasus, Gorno-Altai, European North-Eastern, European North-West, European Central Black Earth, European Central, European South Taiga, West Caucasus, Kaliningrad, Karelian, Kola, Krasnoyarsk, Lower Volga, Pre-Altai , North Yenisei, North Ural, Middle Volga, Middle Ural, Middle Ob, South-West Siberian, South Ural.

Distribution in Eastern Europe. It is found throughout Eastern Europe, reaching north to the Arctic Circle. North view found in Khibiny (Murmansk region). Absent in the desert zone, and also in places in the steppe Ciscaucasia. One of the most common species of the family.

Habitats. Forest edges, clearings, roadsides, meadows in various types of forest. Dolinnye river forests, forest groves and ravines, bushy beams in the steppes and forest-steppes. Butterflies feed on the flowers of burdock (Arctium tomentosum), curly thistle (Carduus crispus), common thistle (Cirsium vulgare), scabiose cornflower (Centaurea scabiosa), long-leaved speedwell (Veronica longifolia), and inverted myringue (Pedicularis resupinata). In addition, lemongrass was found feeding on lungwort (Pulmonaria dacica), corydalis (Corydalis bracteata), as well as on willow flowers (Salix) and sticky buds of birches (Betula).

Life cycle. The lifespan of lemongrass is unusually long and amounts to almost a year. To withstand all this time, she alternates periods of active flight with periods of rest. After flying away for several days, the butterfly falls into torpor, which lasts for several weeks, then for a few days it becomes active again - and so on throughout the entire life cycle of the adult. During wintering, the butterfly is able to tolerate low temperatures(including negative ones) without any additional protection thanks to a special fluid in her body.
In early spring, you can observe the courtship flights of lemongrass, when the male flies after the female, moving at a constant distance from her. Mating takes place when the first buds appear on the buckthorn. Limongrass begins to fly in July (in the European part of Russia - at the beginning of summer), flies until autumn and next spring. Individual overwintered individuals can be found in some places as early as May, and in mountainous areas even later. In North Africa, partly the second generation in August-September
An adult butterfly overwinters and hides in dry leaves near the soil. Everywhere it develops in one generation. Both sexes overwinter, and their flight continues in the spring with the onset of the first thaw until the beginning of June.

Reproduction. The female lays eggs 1-2, less often 4-5 per buckthorn buds and young stems. The eggs are yellowish or greenish, conical, with 12 ribs, laid on buckthorn and zoster, one, rarely two, or even 4-6 on the upper side of the leaves, on the buds, on the stem of the food plant and covered with an adhesive mass.

Caterpillars Buckthorns hatch in May-June. They are matte yellow-green, lighter on the sides, and have a light matte-whitish stripe above the legs. The upper integument of the body is covered with small black dots, each of which has a short black spine. As a rule, at the tip of this spine there is a large drop of orange liquid. The larva's head is green. Newly born caterpillars begin to eat away the leaf from the middle, then reach the edges. Older caterpillars gnaw leaves, starting from the top on the sides of the midrib. The lemongrass caterpillar lives exclusively on the top of the leaves, it is very slow, not timid, only sometimes in times of danger (especially if you touch its front segments) it quickly raises the front half of its body up and back, releasing a drop of liquid from its mouth. The duration of the caterpillar stage depends on weather conditions (development accelerates in warm and dry weather) and is 3-7 weeks.

doll yellow-green, with a very thick chest, angular. On the sides of the pupa there are light yellow stripes (one on each side), the abdominal segments have dark dots. The pupa is attached with a cremaster and a belt to the bark of a branch of a food plant, sticking out with its sharp head end up.

Food plants for caterpillars. Frangula alnus – brittle buckthorn, Frangula sp. – buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica – laxative zoster.

Flight time. March (3 decades), April, May, July, August, September, October (1 decade).

Features of taxonomy. The variability of lemongrass is small, but 11 subspecies of G. rhamni have been described, and in Europe, in addition to the nominative form, only one subspecies lives.

On the pages of our website you can also read entomology textbook: Introduction, Subject and tasks of entomology, Brief outline of the history of entomology, Basic principles of insect taxonomy, Structure of insects, Nervous activity of insects, Reproduction of insects, Development of insects, Life cycles, Diapause, Protective devices and social lifestyle, Nutrition and feeding specialization of insects, Distribution insects, fluctuations in insect numbers, and educational book Doctor of Biological Sciences V.A.Krivokhatsky "Antlion"

Our copyright teaching materials in invertebrate zoology: In our at non-commercial prices(at production cost) Can purchase the following teaching materials on invertebrate animals of Russia: Computer digital (for PC-Windows) identifiers , , , EcoGuide determination applications for smartphones and tablets on Android and iOS: (they can be downloaded from Google Play or uploaded to the AppStore), colored laminated identification tables: , , pocket field locator, key to the series "Encyclopedia of Russian Nature":