Transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly at home. Interesting facts about insects

One of the greatest natural miracles is the transformation of a fat and clumsy caterpillar into a butterfly. Moreover, the butterfly is not always more beautiful than its larva - some caterpillars are so unusual, brightly colored and have a bizarre shape that the butterfly, especially if it is nocturnal, seems like an ugly duckling next to it.

This review contains magnificent photos illustrating what caterpillars of some species look like and what kind of butterfly they turn into. And also, some interesting facts about these incomparable creatures of nature are presented.

1. Brahmin Moth

Brahmei butterflies are found in the East - in India, China, Burma, and are also common on some islands of Japan.

This night view butterflies, they fly at night and sleep during the day with their wings spread. Butterflies and caterpillars are poisonous, so they have no enemies.

2. Peacock eye cecropia (Hyalophora cecropia)

The caterpillar is very poisonous, so with all its bright color it shows that it is better not to touch it. The tubercles have a rich color and additionally have dots, like those of poisonous ladybugs.

The peacock eye is the largest moth America - larger than the palm of your hand.

3. Spicebush Swallowtail

At first glance, this creature looks more like a fish or lizard than a caterpillar. Huge false eyes scare away predators. In addition, during its life of a couple of months, the larva changes color - the egg hatches chocolate brown with large white spots, then becomes bright emerald, and before pupation - orange with a red abdomen.

The black and blue velvet butterfly is common in North America, in some places hundreds of thousands of copies are collected in colonies.

4. Black Swallowtail

The caterpillar of the black swallowtail is very bright and noticeable - so that predators do not covet it. Although in fact it is quite edible.

This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful European butterflies. During the flight, you can see how the color of the wings of the black swallowtail shimmers.

5. Tailed Emperor Butterfly (Polyura Sempronius)

This is not a dinosaur, but a soft imperial caterpillar. Its size is up to 2 cm, and the shell visually enlarges the baby and scares the birds.

The “tailed emperor” is found only in Australia and feeds on nectar from only one plant.

6. Dalcerida (Acraga coa)

The Dalcerida caterpillar appears glassy and transparent.

At the same time, the butterfly itself is very shaggy, brick-colored. Refers to moths. Lives in tropical forests Mexico.

7. Moth (Acharia Stimulea)

This strange creature of an incomprehensible color, with a bright green blanket, is a very dangerous creature. Each shoot secretes poison, and even one touch to the caterpillar can put an adult in the hospital.

And the butterfly is an ordinary night moth, almost invisible.

8. Witch moth caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)

A real caterpillar witch! Lives in orchards both American continents. It is also called the “slug monkey” for unusual way movement - she crawls along one leaf, and jumps to another leaf.

Witch butterflies are also quite spectacular and large. Lead night look life.

9. Greta Oto, or Glass Winged Butterfly

The caterpillar of the incredible Greta butterfly looks ordinary and does not attract attention.

But the glass butterfly with transparent wings looks simply amazing. This species lives in Mexico and throughout South America.

10. Large harpy, or spotted forktail (Cerura vinula)

Both the caterpillar and the harpy butterfly itself have a rather terrifying appearance. The growth in the form of a mustache confuses the birds, and they do not risk feasting on this completely edible larva.

The white moth from the Corydalis family is quite large and makes bad smell, so few people will dare to try it.

11. Flannel Moth

This is not a tuft of fur on a bush, but the larva of a flannel moth. Very poisonous creature!!! Under no circumstances should you touch it!

Adult flannel moths appear soft and cuddly, but they are also poisonous. Found in the USA and Mexico.

12. Blue Morpho

Here is such a strange furry stick, which has no clear where the head is and where the tail is, after the transformation it will become one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world.

The blue Morpho butterfly lives in Central and South America. It is very large - reaches 210 mm in span. The wings have a metallic tint and shimmer when flying. There are 60 varieties of Morpho in all shades of blue.

13. Slug worm (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri)

This gorgeous caterpillar looks like an ornate ice crystal covered with numerous needles. The sight of it seems completely unappetizing to the birds!

And the adult butterfly is an ordinary night woodlice. Distributed throughout North America.

14. Hubbard's Small Silkmoth

This is exactly the famous caterpillar that makes silk thread, and people make wonderful fabric from it. These larvae eat only mulberry or mulberry leaves.

Butterfly silkworm leads a nocturnal lifestyle.

15. Slug Butterfly (Isa Textula)

The leaf-shaped caterpillar stings with its hairs. She moves very interestingly - in zigzags, leaving noticeable traces.

The butterfly is also quite spectacular, 3-4 times smaller than a caterpillar and flies only at night.

16. Rainbow Blue Swallowtail Butterfly

The rainbow swallowtail caterpillar is a very impressive creature, looking like a horned bull.

Very beautiful and bright large butterfly lives in only one place on Earth - in the Ussuri taiga.

17. Spotted Apatelodes

This simply adorable furry caterpillar is extremely poisonous. By the way, her head is where there is one “feather”!

The spotted apatelodes moth is very large and buzzes loudly when it flies.

18. Saturnia Io (Automeris io)

Incredible bright green caterpillar with pompoms. Distributed in Canada and the USA. Very poisonous. The Indians used it to lubricate their arrows.

The colorful moth is also quite impressive, especially at night when those “eyes” glow.

19. Butterfly from the peacock-eye family (Attacus Atlas)

This furry miracle is a very rare larva. And all because people caught both them and butterflies en masse for sale.

The size of peacock eyes is impressive - up to 25 cm! The price of a copy reaches a thousand dollars. The atlas peacock eye is found in Southeast Asia, China, Indonesia. The largest specimen with a wingspan of almost 27 cm was caught on the island. Java in 1922. This butterfly has no mouth and does not eat anything its entire life.

What is the cocoon made of?
Cocoon, is this part of the transformation process?
Has anyone seen how a caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly?

Butterflies pass through life cycle, which consists of several stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly occurs during the pupal stage. At this stage, the caterpillar's old body dies and a new form emerges inside a protective shell known as the pupa.

Silkworms and many other insects weave protective shells for the pupa. Such shelters are called cocoons. Cocoons can be soft or hard, made from silk thread or substrate, and have interesting colors or even be transparent.

Cocoons provide camouflage and additional protection for the pupa. Many insects try to place their cocoons in hidden places, for example, on the underside of leaves, at the base of a tree, or on a thin branch.

Although some people think that the cocoon is a place of rest, in fact, rapid development is taking place inside it! There is a lot of activity in the cocoon. Inside the shelter, the caterpillar transforms into a new creature. This requires the caterpillar's old body to die off and transform into something new. You can think of it as insect recycling!

Inside the pupa, the caterpillar's body digests itself from the inside. The same juices that were used to digest food are now used by the larva to destroy its own body!

The liquid breaks down the caterpillar's old organism into cells called imaginal cells. Such cells are defined as undifferentiated, which means they can become any type of cell. Many of these imaginal cells are used to form a new body.

The process of becoming a pupa is known as holometaboly. Although it varies by type, the entire process usually takes about two weeks. In some species, however, this process can continue for months if they remain inside a cocoon, which helps them survive the cold winter season.

Insects that spin cocoons must eventually shed them to complete their transformation. Some will free themselves by fighting their way from within. Others may secrete a fluid that softens the cocoon and makes the process easier.

Video "Birth of a butterfly - Butterfly coming out"

Thursday, 12 Jan. 2012

A caterpillar is a larva of insects from the order Lepidoptera, or butterflies. Similar to caterpillars are false caterpillars - the larvae of sawflies (a group of families from the order Hymenoptera). Unlike caterpillars, sawfly pseudo-caterpillars have abdominal legs developed on abdominal segments II - X.

Butterflies never eat. And this is true for some types of butterflies, and the reason for this is the process of its transformation from a caterpillar. During her life, the female lays from 100 to several thousand eggs. She tries to place them on those plants that will be useful for her offspring. If there is only one such plant growing in the area, then it is on it that she will lay her eggs!

These eggs hatch into tiny, worm-like larvae called caterpillar grubs. They begin to eat and grow, during which time their skin peels off several times. All the caterpillars do during this period is eat and eat, stocking up for their entire next life, when they turn into butterflies. Food is stored in the form of fat, from which wings, legs, suction tubes and everything else that distinguishes a butterfly from a caterpillar is built.

At a certain moment, the caterpillar feels that the time has come for a change, then it weaves a small cocoon around itself, its head falls off and the caterpillar skin is shed, after which the pupa appears. Then she pierces the cocoon with a sharp needle at the end of the body.

The pupa can sleep for several weeks or months. However, at this time changes occur in it, so that it emerges as a fully formed butterfly, but at first it does not fly. She sits for several hours, spreading her wings, waiting for them to dry and get stronger. She flaps them until she's sure she's ready to fly - then she takes her first flight.

Video showing how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly in 7 days

Caterpillars can be great, easy-to-care pets for all adults and children. Other than being given enough food, caterpillars don't require much. The best part is watching these creatures cocoon themselves or become chrysalises and then magically transform into butterflies or moths a few days or weeks later. What could be better than this? Read on to learn how to properly care for a caterpillar and transform it into a butterfly.

Steps

Where to find caterpillars

Select right time year. The most better time for hunting caterpillars it is spring and summer, since most butterflies lay eggs at this time. However, some individuals (in particular, hairy caterpillars) appear in the fall. Winter is the only time of year when it is impossible to find caterpillars.

IN wildlife caterpillar survival rate is about 2%; this means that out of every hundred eggs laid by a butterfly, only two will survive to adulthood. This happens due to large number predators whose food is caterpillars. Thus, by taking a caterpillar as a pet, you give it a much greater chance of survival.
Be aware that fall caterpillars are more likely to remain chrysalised all winter, so you will have to wait much longer for the butterfly to appear than with spring or summer caterpillars, where the wait is 2-3 weeks.

Look for caterpillars on plants. The best place The caterpillars' favorite plants to look for are their favorite plants, since caterpillars usually stay close to their food source. If you are not picky about the type of caterpillar you want to care for, you can check the leaves of any plant in your garden or park. However, if you are looking for specific caterpillars/butterflies/moths, then you will have to target specific plant species. Here are some of the most common:

Order specific types of caterpillars online. If you need a special type of caterpillar/butterfly and cannot find it yourself, then there is always the option of ordering from a specialized supplier via the Internet.

Handle the caterpillars carefully. When you find a caterpillar, it is very important to handle it correctly. If you try to take the caterpillar, it may great strength catch on the surface it is on, and if you pull, you can damage the caterpillar or even tear off its legs.

Where and how to place caterpillars
1. Keep your caterpillar in a suitable container. Caterpillars don't need anything fancy to house them in - a 5 liter jar or aquarium is ideal. The jar or aquarium is easy to clean, and the caterpillar will be clearly visible through the walls.
  - Cover the container with gauze or mesh and secure with a rubber band to ensure proper ventilation. Do not poke holes in the screw top of the jar, as some sites advise, as the caterpillars may attempt to escape through these holes and injure themselves on the sharp edges.
  - If you are placing more than one track, make sure each one has three times the space larger size her body so that she can move calmly. This way you will avoid overcrowding.
2. Place on the bottom of the container paper towel or fill up with soil. It is a good idea to line the bottom of the container with paper, as it will absorb excess moisture and also collect caterpillar excrement. You can easily clean the track container by discarding one piece of paper and laying down another.
  
  Place a couple of sticks in the container. This is a good idea for a number of reasons:
  - First, the caterpillars will have something to climb on, which they may need to do to get to their food.
  - Secondly, the caterpillar may want to pupate while hanging from a branch. That is, you must check that the stick is held securely and will not fall.
  - Thirdly, when a butterfly hatches from a pupa, it needs to hang upside down on something to spread and dry its wings.
3. Keep the container moist. Most caterpillars prefer somewhat damp environment. The best way To achieve this, periodically spray the container with a spray bottle.
How to feed caterpillars
1. If you don't know the food plant, experiment with various types leaves. Caterpillars are very selective in food, and each species has limited quantity the plants they feed on. In fact, most caterpillars will starve if given the wrong food. So if your caterpillar refuses the leaves of the plant you found it on, or if you find the caterpillar on something other than a plant, you will have to figure out its food plant through trial and error.
  
  The leaves must be fresh. Caterpillars will not eat old or dried leaves, so it is important to provide them with fresh green leaves at all times. The frequency of providing leaves will depend on the plant, some may last a week, others need to be renewed daily.
2. Don't worry about giving the caterpillar water. Caterpillars do not need to drink, all necessary water they get it with food.
  - However, if the caterpillar looks somewhat dried out, you will need to increase the humidity in the container, try rinsing the leaves with water and placing them in the container without drying them out.
  - Drops of water on the leaves will provide the necessary moisture.

Everyone has seen caterpillars; to many they seem at least unpleasant creatures; they rightfully occupy an honorable place among crop pests and among all sorts of nasty things. Meanwhile, the caterpillar is just the larva of one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet - a butterfly, and we’ll tell you about this amazing transformation.

Larval stage

Like their adult form, often the larva itself also looks quite impressive. Horns, bright colors and various spots, hairs, and thorns give them the appearance of a dangerous, poisonous creature.

After its birth, this insect rushes to eat everything in its path. During this period of its existence, the larva will shed its old skin several times (about four or five times). She will eat, accumulate fat and grow, increasing in size sometimes several thousand times, until the time comes to weave a cocoon. When this time comes, the caterpillar will go in search of a secluded corner where it can begin one of the most impressive metamorphoses in nature.

Pupa stage

The caterpillar's saliva contains a special secretion that allows it to harden in air, forming a silky thread. With the help of this substance, it is fixed on the branch upside down and begins to wrap itself around its thread. After the cocoon around her body is woven, she sheds again, this time completely, her head even falls off.

When the cocoon shell becomes hard, the pupal stage begins. The pupa is not mobile, so it is extremely important for it to remain unnoticed. Even in this dormant state, the pupae of some species are able to change to the color of their surroundings, take the shape of leaves, and also emit hissing and even move. In species that do not have such skill, the pupa is also not so easy to find. Most often, the human eye perceives them as a bud on a tree.

At this stage, the process of histolysis occurs inside the solid cocoon, during which almost all tissues of the caterpillar are destroyed and become liquid state, and new ones appear in their place. At this time, the embryos of the organs of the future butterfly are formed from the imaginal discs. On the surface you can even discern how the wings, legs and trunk of an insect are formed. This is the most exciting moment of the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Butterfly

When the insect is fully formed, it is time to leave the already cramped bed. By the way, the shortest life expectancy of butterflies, depending on the species and, naturally, luck, ranges from a couple of hours to several days; during this time, some individuals do not even have time to eat, so as not to waste time.

After the cozy cocoon is left, the butterfly sits for some time until the rumpled wings dry out and straighten out under the influence of hemolymph. The warmth of this liquid makes the insect's wings the way we are used to seeing them - hard and beautifully colored. Now they acquire their permanent color and their graceful owner is ready to find a partner and reproduce.

By the way, some species go through these stages, from birth to transformation into an adult winged insect, in three whole years, like the Odorous Woodborer, which feeds on hard-to-digest food - wood.

Reproduction

Having found a partner, after successful mating, the butterfly lays eggs in order to begin new circle life. To do this, she chooses the most suitable plant that will appeal to her future babies - caterpillars - and lays eggs. The clutch can number from one hundred to one hundred thousand eggs.

When the new caterpillars are born, they will begin their meal from the leaf on which they were born, gradually spreading to other green parts of the plant. If their population is too large, they can become a real disaster for green spaces and crops of grains and vegetables.

And who would have thought what beautiful creature how a butterfly comes from such an unattractive larva.