What are the names of all butterflies? The most beautiful butterflies in the world

Man is considered the master of our planet. But the world around us is so multifaceted and diverse, and is inhabited by simply a huge number of living organisms. Quite often we don’t even notice or know about the existence of many of them. It is known that today biologists have described about one and a half million different species of living organisms. Of these, about two thirds are insects.

Butterflies are representatives of the order Lepidoptera

Insects do not always look attractive, but among these representatives of the fauna there is a rather interesting and original order. We are talking about butterflies. Butterflies are representatives of the class of insects such as arthropods. In the general classification, a whole order called Lepidoptera is formed from butterflies.

There are quite a few representatives of the order Lepidoptera, and most of them have not been sufficiently studied. It is believed that today the planet is inhabited by about two hundred thousand species of butterflies. Moreover, only about half of them are known species of butterflies. Butterflies inhabit all continents except Antarctica.

Of the entire diversity of these insects, only about five thousand are distributed on the European continent. The rest are occupied by tropical forests. Considering the nature of the climate and the fact that the main purpose of butterflies is to pollinate plants, it is in tropical forests that the brightest and most diverse representatives of the order Lepidoptera are found.

Butterflies are quite ancient creatures. Fossil remains suggest that these insects have inhabited the Earth since the Jurassic period.

Butterflies are insects. What do they have in common with this type and what are the differences? Similar features include the following:

• the body of moths is made up of segments and covered with chitinous “skin”;
• the articulated limbs of butterflies consist of three pairs;
• Lepidoptera, like the vast majority of insects, have a proboscis.

The main difference between this squad is the presence scales that cover the body and wings. There can be about one hundred thousand of these scales on the body of one butterfly. They are the ones who form color scheme and features appearance. Scales can be pigmented and determine the color of a particular individual, as well as optical, the purpose of which is the refraction and reflection of light.

Classification of butterfly species

When classifying butterflies, various approaches and criteria are used. It takes into account what types of butterflies are known. For example, they can be distinguished by lifestyle at night and day. They differ from each other in body and color.

• Day butterflies They are found in quite large sizes, some are simply huge. Birdwings or Queen Alexandra's Swallowtails have a wingspan of 32 centimeters.
• Among moths You can highlight the Death's Head butterfly, which weighs 9 grams and has an original design.

In addition to their lifestyle, butterflies can be distinguished by the number of representatives of the species. Very common in nature common species, for example, Burdock, which, in addition to South America, lives on all continents, and rare moths, of which there are almost a few. An example is Apollo vulgaris, Mnemosyne and others.

Among specialists, it is considered the most objective division of butterflies into 4 suborders. What types of butterflies are there? Let's look at them in more detail.

1) Primary toothed moths. This suborder is characterized by small body size and small wings (4-15 mm). This suborder has a gnawing type of mouthparts. Distinctive feature large antennae serve. Their length is up to 75% of the dimensions of the front wings. This family is represented by 160 species of butterflies. Representatives of the family include:

• golden smallwing;
• marigold smallwing.

2) Proboscis butterflies. These insects are quite similar to the previous suborder. Distinctive external features These individuals are wings covered with microscopic scales of cream or black color and no larger than 25 mm in size. This suborder includes the following representatives:

• flour moth;
• spruce cone moth.

3) Heterobathmya, represented by one family.

4) Proboscis butterflies. This suborder is the most numerous. It includes several dozen families and has more than 150 thousand species. This suborder is characterized by a variety of representatives: their appearance and size. Let's look at several of the most characteristic families of proboscis butterflies.

• Family Sailboats. Representatives of this family are quite large with large wings (from 50 to 280 mm). These individuals have an original pattern on the wings, consisting of spots of various sizes in black, red or blue color. The most striking for this family are the Swallowtail butterfly and the Swallowtail "Glory of Bhutan".
• In the next family of butterflies characteristic feature wide angular wings without thickened veins, variegated colors and various patterns serve. This is a family Nymphalidae. Individuals of this family have wings ranging in size from 50 to 130 mm. Typical representatives include the Admiral butterfly, the Day Peacock butterfly and others.
• Family Hawk Moths. These are night butterflies. They have narrow wings no more than 13 cm and a special pattern. The body of such butterflies has a spindle-shaped shape. Hawkmoths include: Oleander Hawkmoth, Death's Head Hawkmoth and others.
• Another large family of moths is the family Scoops. There are more than 35,000 species. The width of the wings of these individuals is on average 35 mm, and their color is gray with a metallic tint. However, this family includes a number of rather exotic specimens, for example, Tizania agrippina lives in South America and is the size of an average bird.

These are the types of lepidopteran insects.

Butterflies are quite extraordinary and mysterious representatives of the fauna. There are a number of beliefs associated with them. For example, among some peoples it is customary to ask a butterfly for rain, because it flies high and can convey the request directly to the “heavenly office.” Another belief: a butterfly that flies into a home is perceived as a symbol of good luck and family well-being. In South America, moths are protected from fire, considering them to be harbingers of positive changes in life.

That's how they are - butterflies. Mysterious and bright, interesting and not fully studied.

It is impossible to say unequivocally which butterfly is the most beautiful. There are many types, and they are all beautiful in their own way. There are especially many of them in the forests of the subtropics and tropics. There are worthy representatives in Russia.

List of the most beautiful butterflies

Prince of Darkness

There are many of its subspecies. The largest in size is the Emperor butterfly. It is known that caterpillars of this species eat tree leaves throughout their lives, and having turned into a butterfly, they continue to exist solely due to the accumulated nutrients. The lifespan of the Prince of Darkness is only ten days. The coloring of the wings of the Peacock-Eyes is amazing and unusual. Moreover, not only the color, but also the shape of the wing itself is similar to a snake’s head. This serves as camouflage for the butterfly from insect-eating animals.

Queen Alexandra's sailboat

The wings of the male are painted in subtle shades of blue and green. Outwardly, they resemble the leaves of a tropical exotic plant. Their span usually does not exceed twenty centimeters.

Madagascar comet

The wingspan of this beauty is eighteen centimeters. If you measure the butterfly in length, it will become clear why it was recognized as the longest in the world. Its wings are decorated with twenty-centimeter tails, which often fall off after the first flights. Wings bright yellow color, and each of them has a large brown “eye”.

This species lives only two to three days and is nocturnal. It is surprising that they lack a digestive tract and oral apparatus.

Sailboat Maak

In the male, most of the front black wing shimmers with a dotted coating Green colour. The part of the wing without coating shines black. Females have so many color options that it is almost impossible to find identical butterflies.

The habitat of Tailbearers is Primorye, Kuril Islands, Manchuria, North Korea. During the flowering of subalpine plants, these butterflies rise to a height of about two thousand meters in search of food.

Butterfly Agrippina

During the flight, Agrippina can easily be mistaken for a bird. The fact is that its wings on the back side with their color create the illusion of wings. Agrippina is a nocturnal butterfly, rarely does anyone manage to see it.. You can learn more about the largest butterflies.

Glory to Bhutan

The Glory of Bhutan is a butterfly that lives in mountain forests at an altitude of up to two thousand six hundred meters above sea level. Their flight is very slow, but butterflies change direction very quickly. Their bright coloring is a warning to predators and indicates that they are inedible.

The most beautiful butterfly in the world

In first place in terms of beauty, one could put a species of butterfly such as the Tail Bearer or Peacock's Eye. Their wing coloring is simply extraordinary. Queen Alexandra's sailboat will delight anyone with its wingspan reaching up to twenty-eight centimeters.

Among the Russian species one can highlight the graceful Swallowtail and the unique Sericin montela butterfly. A person watches their flight with bated breath.

The amazingly beautiful Atlas Peacock-eye lives in East Asia. The oleander hawk moth also surprises with its unusual pollen tints.

All this is just a small part of the most beautiful butterflies. However, there is an opinion of venerable scientists on this matter. The Madagascan butterfly Urania was recognized as the most beautiful in the world. This conclusion was made by an international congress of scientists. From the name it is clear that it lives in Madagascar. Its coloring is unusually picturesque and bright. The black wings of this butterfly are covered with multi-colored scales, thus creating a pattern of various shades.

Urania can often be seen on the covers of books about animals. Collectors highly value representatives of this species for their beauty. It is known that due to their unusual colors, the wings were used in the eighteenth century for the production of jewelry. Urania leads a diurnal lifestyle. The wingspan is small, it barely exceeds a centimeter.

Butterflies are one of the most charming and amazing insects on our planet. With their picturesque patterns on their wings, they always remind us of warm days. But even among these beauties one can single out the brightest representatives, whose grace and beauty rarely leaves anyone indifferent. The popularity rating is topped by butterflies that are yellow and red in color. We will look at them in more detail.

Beauties with yellow color

The luxurious night beauty Saturnia has bright yellow wings. She holds the record for wingspan. The length of the graceful wings, ending in elongated, slightly forked tails, can reach 20 cm.

Each wing is decorated with a large dark brown eye, inside of which there is a black dot, and its apex with a brown spot.

A thin reddish-brown interrupted pattern runs along the surface of all wings, which is complemented by a gray-black border closer to the tail.

In nature, this nocturnal beauty can be found only in one corner of the planet - on the island of Madagascar. But thanks to its amazing beauty, its population is successfully bred on many farms around the world. This allows true connoisseurs of beauty to enjoy the mesmerizing fluttering of “celestials” by purchasing them for their home.

The butterfly sheds its graceful long tail after several hours, but even after that it does not lose its attractiveness

But the lifespan of the Madagascar comet is only 2-3 days. This is due to the fact that the peacock eye lacks a mouthparts and a digestive tract. It exists only due to the reserves of nutrients accumulated while still in the caterpillar state.

The beauty of these amazing insects is created by the scales covering their wings, which acquire amazing shades when the sun's rays are refracted.

Like other representatives of the peacock-eye family, Saturnia has a small, slightly retracted head and a thick, barrel-shaped body, completely covered with fluffy hairs. This incredible tropical beauty flies slowly and sits happily in the palm of your hand.

This beauty belongs to the nymphalidae family. It received the second name “malachite” due to the rich amber-emerald color of its wings.

The wings of this tropical beauty have a velvety structure, and golden-greenish spots form a fancy pattern.

WITH inside The color of the wings is dominated by yellow-brown shades with olive splashes.

Compared to the previous beauty, the size of the tropical guest is small and in most cases does not exceed 8-10 cm. In nature, it is found in Mexico, Brazil, as well as in the vastness of South and Central America.

Adult Siproetes feel comfortable on hot days and fly freely under the scorching rays of the sun, without fear of scorching their thin velvety wings

Graceful beauties are absolutely unpretentious.

They enjoy eating:

• nectar of flowers;
• juice of ripened fruits;
• corpse fluid of rotting organic matter.

Siproeta Stelena is distinguished by its swiftness and gracefulness of flight, the contemplation of which gives a sea of ​​positive emotions

These little ones are very mobile and incredibly beautiful in flight, and therefore can produce an unsurpassed effect at any holiday.

The highest altitude butterfly in the world belongs to the genus Apollo and the swallowtail family. In nature, it can be found at an altitude of 6 thousand meters above sea level in the mountains of Central Asia.

She prefers to settle:

• on mountain peaks;
• in steep rock slides.

The butterfly's wings are colored predominantly in cream and yellow shades with black spots and transparent splashes closer to the edges

The outer edge of the thinnest translucent upper wings has a rounded shape. The lower wings are also rounded. The wingspan of representatives of this genus can reach from 50 to 90 cm. Their flight is swift, long and slightly soaring.

Yellow-winged beauties can soar in the air for a long time, adjusting the trajectory of their flight with the flapping of their wings

Representatives of this family lead a diurnal lifestyle and are active only in sunny weather. They look especially impressive when they fly in small flocks, forming an openwork fluttering cloud of a soft yellow hue.

This representative also belongs to the sailboat family.

The butterfly got its name in honor of the Greek mythological character Machaon. According to legend, the healer took part in the Trojan War and skillfully healed wounded soldiers.

The front wings, decorated with yellow moon-shaped spots and graceful black veins, are framed by a wide dark border

The wingspan of the swallowtail can reach 80 cm in females and 90 cm in males. The fragile wings amaze with their beauty and variety of shades. You won’t see any lines and fancy shapes on them!

The color of the hind wings includes shades of yellow, red and even blue, and 10 mm long “tails” give them a bizarre shape.

Representatives of this species can be found everywhere throughout Europe, including our climatic zones. The energetic insects, which do not stay in one place, are found even in the Alps at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level.

The best butterflies with red colors

A diurnal butterfly from the nymphalid family has Latin name"Inachis", which was given to her in honor of the ancient Greek king Inachus. In the Russian version, it received its name due to the characteristic spots that are surprisingly similar to the “eyes” that adorn the feathers of a peacock’s tail.

On all four wings there is one large “eye”, the centers of which are decorated with “pupils” in the form of large bright blue spots

The main background of the wings is red-brown with a brown tint.

The acquisition of such an amazing color was influenced by the action of alternating cold and heat, to which the insect is subjected each time at the pupal stage.

The size of the butterfly does not exceed 30 mm, and the span of its wings, complemented by shallow cutouts, is only 50-60 mm

Peacock's eye is a typical inhabitant of Eurasia. It feels comfortable in open areas, preferring to flit around in sprawling parks and spacious gardens.

The motley beauty is able to travel long distances in search of food.

Flapping her wings, the charming lady seems to freeze for a moment, giving others the opportunity to admire her beauty. And you can watch such a mesmerizing soaring flight for an eternity.

This butterfly is easily recognized by the original coloring of its wings. It was the bright color that caused the butterfly to be given such an unusual “name”. After all, these colors are present in the uniforms of the admirals of the Russian royal fleet.

The wings have a dark red-brown background, along which is laid a curved stripe created from three merging bright scarlet spots

The hind wing is bordered by a reddish stripe, in the center of which there is a row of black dots. This unusual combination shades favorably emphasizes the uniqueness of the pattern created by nature.

In flight, the butterfly is swift and light, but at the same time it does not fly high, giving others the opportunity to see its amazing coloring.

The admiral butterfly has good eyesight, but its most sensitive organ is its antennae.

With the help of antennae located on the head, she can capture the subtlest odors of her favorite delicacy at a great distance.

The beauty lives in the temperate climate zone of North America, Asia and Europe. The tireless little one is capable of making huge flights. Soaring in the air, she seems to be performing a solo aerial dance, the gracefulness of which leaves those around her breathless.

The Latin name for the day butterfly is "antiopa". She received it in honor of the Greek queen of the Amazons.

The wings, which have a cherry-brown tint, are decorated with a wide pale yellow border, along which blue or blue spots are laid out in an even row.

The coloring, cast with a noble satin shine, is the same in both females and males. The wings, which have a membranous structure, are well adapted for flight. In span they can reach 8-9 cm.

The miniature butterfly amazes with its original coloring and majestic flight.

In nature, they live near bodies of water, and migrating individuals can even reach the shores of the Arctic Ocean.

This daytime, amazingly beautiful tropical visitor from Asia belongs to the genus Papilio. It received its name in honor of Count Rumyantsev.

Butterflies are amazing insects that belong to a large number of records in the world of fauna. And the most obvious is the color option. There are several thousand of them.

There are several classifications of butterflies, which sometimes contradict each other. The easiest way is to divide them into daytime and nighttime. According to another system, all butterflies, except for some ancient families, belong to the group of heteroptera Lepidoptera. The most famous of them are the club-shaped, or diurnal, butterflies, whose antennae are widened at the end and form a thickening resembling a club. In addition, in a calm state, they do not fold their wings like a roof on their backs, but keep them spread out or lift them up and lean one against the other.

There are more than 200 families of these fluttering beauties in the world's fauna. We will give only a small part of them. The family True moths includes small-sized butterflies with a rudimentary proboscis. Their larvae feed food products, tinder fungi and pet hair. Fur coat, carpet or clothes moths can be found in apartments and houses. All of them, without exception, at the caterpillar stage eat fur, woolen fabrics or products, and also damage the skin.

The clothes moth is the smallest among the other two: its wingspan reaches only 9-12 mm. The largest family is the Leafroll family, which is represented by small butterflies with pronounced wings. They got this name because in most species the caterpillars curl leaves around themselves. An extremely dangerous forest pest is the green oak leaf roller. Every few years, outbreaks of mass reproduction of this species of butterfly occur, after which its larvae completely eat up the leaves of oak trees.

Externally similar to wasps, glass butterflies, due to their unusual coloring and transparent wings, avoid the fate of being swallowed by birds, since their birds mistake them for wasps. The caterpillars of certain glassworts are found inside the trunks and branches of trees, while others are found in the underground parts of grasses.

Moths from the Carpenter moth family, which appear in the second half of summer, are also important forest pests. Their larvae reproduce in the wood of old trees. Having finished breeding, these large, red, lovely creatures crawl along the ground in search of an ideal space for pupation. A long time ago, such a bright caterpillar met a superstitious person near a cemetery and inherited the name “worm of the dead.”

In the family of small and medium-sized fire butterflies, there are also those that cause considerable harm to humans. These are corn and meadow moths, the mill moth (its caterpillars damage dried fruits, grain and flour).

The Peacock eye family got its name due to the fact that on each wing of such butterflies there is an incredibly beautiful, actually similar to a peacock, eye. Adults are sometimes very large, and their huge caterpillars are covered with warts. The pear peacock eye, also known as the large night peacock eye, is the largest Russian butterfly. Many species of such beautiful winged creatures are listed in the Red Books of different countries.

The fluttering beauties from the Hawkmoth family are taken under state protection and are considered the best flyers. Such butterflies are not only extremely fast, but also very mobile. Moreover, they can hang in the air and, hanging over a flower, extract nectar from there without touching the bud. The front wings of these butterflies are long and narrow, while the hind wings are wide and short. The Hawk Moth caterpillar can be easily recognized by the sharp spine located at the end of its body.

In this group of butterflies, many species are notable for their behavior. For example, the Death's Head, which is endowed with a peculiar pattern on the back, is a real night robber. This “sweet tooth” steals honey from bees by piercing honeycombs with his small but strong proboscis. And in order to lull the vigilance of the owners, the hawk moth begins to buzz.

The family of True silkworms has only one genus with a single species - the silkworm. People began breeding this butterfly since time immemorial, but it is difficult to find in nature. It is believed that the first to “domesticate” the silkworm were the Chinese four thousand years ago. The caterpillars are in rooms specially designed for them and they feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree. When development is complete, the larvae begin to pupate, weaving a velvety cocoon. After which the pupae are destroyed by steam, and the cocoons are unraveled using special devices. This is how natural silk thread comes out.

Moth moths are a very species rich and difficult to define group. This family inherited its name due to the fact that moth caterpillars, while moving, pull the rear end of the body towards the front, as if folding in half. These butterflies have a modest color and are inconspicuous. Even more invisible are their caterpillars, which at rest are very similar to a twig or leaf petiole.

The larvae of certain species of this family can cause significant damage to a garden or forest. For example, the winter moth eats the leaves and buds of fruit trees, and the pine moth causes damage to pine, spruce and cedar. The small family Marching silkworms unites butterflies, the reproduction of which is carried out on trees. Sometimes outbreaks of mass reproduction occur among such insects. Then their larvae gather into large groups and move, lined up one after another. The spectacle of the “formation” of such caterpillars captivates not only the number of specimens, but also the coherence of their actions.

Outbreaks of numerous reproduction are also characteristic of velvet beauties from the Volnyanka family - yellowtails, goldentails, gypsy moths and nuns. The penultimate species was named because of the sharp difference between the sexes: females are larger and have white wings, while males are much smaller and brown.

A large number of species, of course, are in the family of nocturnal moths. There are more than 25 thousand of them. This type of butterfly is very easy to recognize by its short, very heavily pubescent body and dense abdomen, as well as by the special pattern of its wings. In most cutworms it consists of wavy stripes and patterns. The largest species in Russia are considered to be ribbon moths, which represent an ideal example of conspiracy. Their front wings are so similar to the bark of trees that a butterfly located on a trunk is very difficult to distinguish even in close proximity. But the hind wings of such beauties, on the contrary, are very variegated, with blue, crimson or orange stripes.

There are many species in this family that cause harm agriculture or forests. For example, fall armyworm caterpillars eat the underground part of winter crops. Brightly colored and variegated bear butterflies get their name from their unusually heavily shed caterpillars. This cover protects the larvae from birds - the hairs of their bodies are prickly, hard and burning. Such caterpillars feed mainly on grasses and do not cause much harm. One of the groups of bear butterflies - lichen butterflies - switched to feeding on lichens that grow on tree trunks.

The Cavaliers family, also known as Swallowtails, are the most beautiful butterflies in our country. Their hind wings resemble pigtails. They can fly without flapping their wings. Cavalier caterpillars have an odorous gland on their chest, which, at the slightest danger, extends in the form of a small fork. In Ukraine and Russia you can find such types of butterflies as: swallowtail, black Apollo and podalirium. However, all these species are quite rare and are listed in the Red Book.

The most beautiful sailboats are found in the tropics. Representatives of this species are the Indonesian birdwings, which are endowed with magnificent colors, as a result of which they are also called paradise ornithopters.

Almost everyone has known about the Belyanok families since childhood. It includes Cabbage, Lemongrass and Hawthorn. These are one of the most common butterflies. There are approximately 1,500 species of whitefish worldwide. Most of them are characterized by an external difference between female and male individuals. So, for example, the male cabbage grass has no black spots on the front wings, unlike the females, and the males of the lemongrass have a yellow color, and the females are pale green. White butterflies also include reptiles, rutabaga and incredibly beautiful yellow butterflies.

Representatives of the Marigold family are distinguished by their underdeveloped front legs and a couple of swollen veins at the beginning of the front wings. They have a very modest color: brown, dark brown or red. However, quite often you can see a variety of eye spots on the wings. The caterpillars of such butterflies feed on cereals. Most of the Marigolds have names taken from Greek mythology: Circe, Antaeus, Galatea, Ishgolitha, Briseis and Megaera.

The Nymphalidae family is also endowed with underdeveloped forelegs, but the veins at the base of the forewings are not swollen. In addition, representatives of this species are very bright and more beautiful than Marigolds. This is the most luxurious and numerous family of daytime butterflies. Many people know such representatives of Nymphalids as Urticaria, mourning and daytime Peacock's eye, checkers, mother-of-pearl, anglewings, iridescent and variegated wingwings.

Relatively small representatives of the Blueberry family do not always live up to their name. Mostly only males have the corresponding color, while females are painted in nondescript brown colors. There are also representatives of this family with bright red, brown and even green wings. The caterpillars of such butterflies feed, as a rule, on herbs (mainly sorrel or clover), and therefore bluebirds can often be found in meadows. Larvae of certain species live in anthills and eat aphids and sometimes ant eggs. The owners are not left at a loss either - the gland located on the back of the caterpillar produces sweet nectar if it is lightly tickled with the antennae.

Butterflies are one of the most amazing and beautiful creatures on the planet.
Many people can say with confidence that they are the most beautiful insects, despite the fact that beauty is a very subjective concept, and it is different for everyone.
However, you are unlikely to find anyone who does not like these little fluttering beauties. And to once again be convinced of the elegance of these heavenly messengers, we have compiled the top 10 most beautiful butterflies in the whole world. Enjoy!

Translated into Russian, the name of the butterfly sounds like “dead head”. It would seem that such a gloomy name could not allow the bearer to get into the top 10 most beautiful insects. However, one has only to look at this little winged beauty and all doubts will disappear. Acherontia atropos is distinguished by its unusual color, due to which this nocturnal butterfly got its name. The upper part of her body is strikingly different from the lower, moreover, in it one can discern the contours of a human skull, which in itself is already unusual.

Parnassius (Parnassius bannyngtoni)

And this little one is the highest mountain butterfly in the world. Her entire genus is Parnasius, living mainly in the Himalayas. You can meet it even more than six thousand meters above sea level!
The beauty's color matches its habitat - snow-white wings, with occasional coloration in the form of bright orange or red spots.

Cyproeta stelena (Malachite butterfly)

This emerald beauty is named after the well-known stone - malachite. You can meet the butterfly in South and Central America, and much less often in North America. Siproeta Stelena has an unusual coloring, which is strikingly different from other insects of its species. The reason for this was that, unlike other butterflies, the “malachite” butterfly feeds not only on nectar, its diet is much more varied. The size of the tropical guest is usually from eight to ten centimeters. The wings of the cyproete are velvety black, often highlighted with bright green spots that form a bizarre and beautiful pattern.

Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

This unusually beautiful creation of nature got its name thanks to the red stripes on its wings, reminiscent of the stripes on the trousers of the Tsar's admirals. Russian fleet. The forewings at the apex have the shape of teeth. They are painted velvety black or dark brown, edged with a bright scarlet edge, just above which there is a scattering of small white spots. The hind wings are brownish and marble-shaped, allowing them to be successfully camouflaged while resting and feeding on flowers.
Is a traveler butterfly. So, migration to Africa from any corner of Russia is a completely feasible task for such a fragile insect. It’s interesting that all Admirals’ flights are made not in a flock, but alone.
These lovely creatures hibernate under the bark of trees. But only Sun rays They begin to warm up, the admiral butterfly leaves its roost and hurries to bring its rich color to the monotonous grayness of early spring.

Morpho peleides

This beauty lives in Colombia, Central America and Mexico. “Morpho” means “beautiful” in Greek. But these butterflies are simply magnificent, because they have absorbed all the blue of the sky. They soar high above the ground, and some do not fall below six meters. The wings are covered with tiny scales that refract light and reflect blue and blue colors, that’s why Morpha’s wings seem shiny and so beautiful to us. With their beauty, Morpho attracts the opposite sex and scares away predators, because not every bird will decide to attack “flashing food.” This color serves as a unique way of protection for its owners. They live for about four months. They love rotting bananas and the juice of overripe fruits. And after tasting the fermented juice, they can get drunk, and during takeoff they are thrown from side to side, so they tend to the shade or damp ground.

Madagascar comet (Argema mittrei)

Only in tropical rainforests can this representative of the peacock-eye family be seen. It is also called the Moon Moth. The features of this butterfly include a small and retracted head, a thick, fluffy body and unusual antennae on the male. This resident of Madagascar has very bright colors; there are spots on the wings that resemble eyes. The wings are very large (span up to 18 cm) and decorated with unusual long spurs. This butterfly does not eat, since it does not have a mouth or a digestive system; it only has enough nutrients that it accumulated while it was a caterpillar. Unfortunately, they only live for 2-3 days.

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)

This amazingly beautiful insect can be seen in different parts of our planet, although there is an opinion that only inhabitants of exotic countries can have such a bright and unusual color. The diversity of habitats provides the opportunity for the emergence of new subspecies. Today there are about forty subspecies of swallowtail. The name was given to it in honor of the ancient doctor who skillfully healed the wounds of warriors. The length of the swallowtail body is up to 10 cm. The wings have a very beautiful coloring. The background of the wings is usually bright yellow, but the variety of stripes, spots and lines is simply incredible! Patterns can be red, blue, black, white. These are very energetic creatures; they do not stay in one place. They prefer umbrella plants. Only flower nectar is eaten. If you see a couple spinning in the air, you know that these are mating games. During a season, a female swallowtail can lay up to 120 eggs. The swallowtail lives about three weeks.

Greta Oto

The glass butterfly is an amazing and unique insect. Looking at them you admire their fragility, airiness, weightlessness. Some people may not see the beauty, but there is no doubt that it is very unusual. Nature has endowed it with wings that are transparent through and through, and the edging of the wings has a color, often red and black. And there are streaks on the wings, which further adorns Greta Oto. It lives in South America, in humid forests. This is a very numerous species. After all, they do not attract predators, because a lot of toxins accumulate in this small organism, even at the caterpillar stage they feed only poisonous plants. Growing up, Greta begins to prefer only plant nectar. These transparent beauties are very hardy; during the migration period they can cover about twelve kilometers in a day.

Maack's swallowtail (Papilio maackii)

This is the largest and most spectacular butterfly in our country. Males have a very beautiful coloring, wings with a dark green tint with black margins; females can be brown or black with bright red spots along the edges. Looking at such a stunning color, it’s hard to believe that this is not an inhabitant of tropical countries, and it can even be found in areas of northern latitude. It can be found in mixed and deciduous forests. Feeds on nectar. Sometimes on wet sections of the road or along rivers you can see a stunning spectacle of several dozen (and sometimes hundreds) of males. And if they are disturbed, they fly up into a dark cloud, and from it, shimmering under the sun, a rainbow rain of drops of water, shaken off by these fabulous creatures, will fall.

Peacock-eye Atlas (Attacus atlas)

It is one of the largest butterflies on Earth. The wingspan reaches up to 260 mm. Quite a huge size for such a sophisticated creature! Atlas loves the night, which is why her other name is Prince of Darkness. The corners of the wings of this amazing butterfly are curved, reminiscent of a snake's head, and are colored in shades of brownish, reddish, yellowish and pinkish. The edges of the wings are framed with a black border and beige stripes. On each of the wings there is a spot similar to the pattern on the feathers of a peacock, hence the name.
Another curious fact about the short life (1-2 weeks) of the Peacock Eye is that it does not eat anything, existing only on the reserves that it accumulated while it was a caterpillar. Atlas is also a butterfly with a very phenomenal sense of smell. Males can find their females by smelling pheromones from 12 km away.

Butterflies have not yet been fully studied. And it is quite possible that you will meet a species unknown to anyone. These flying flowers cannot be compared with any other insect on the planet in their beauty. Fragile and beautiful, they personify the boundless imagination of nature. It’s a pity that they don’t live very long – from two days to several months. Let's take care and enjoy the beauty of these beautiful creatures!