- The wings are painted so unusually that it cannot be confused with any butterfly in the world. Externally, the male and female are very similar to each other.
The range of the daytime peacock's eye covers all of Europe (except for the northernmost regions) and the temperate latitudes of Asia.
Butterflies overwinter in basements, attics, in caves... Overwintered individuals fly in March - May, and a new generation appears in July - August.
The butterfly got its name because of the bizarre spots in the lower corner of the wings, which are similar to the shape of the eye. In general, the color of the Peacock's eye varies from bright red to deep brown. All this is artistically diluted with black with beautiful patterns and stripes.
There is also a nocturnal Peacock eye, which differs from its relative in darker colors and brown spots. Its outstretched wings reach up to 15 centimeters in length. At night the Peacock's eye is very reminiscent bat than a butterfly.
Apollo
A diurnal butterfly, listed in the Red Book. The butterfly is found in the Urals, Siberia and the Caucasus Mountains. One of the reasons for this choice of area is its feeding habits; Apollo prefers thickets of sedum and hare cabbage, which are found mainly in mountainous areas.
The butterfly has a bright, beautiful color and is clearly visible in open areas. Apollo is easily recognized by his large wings with black and red spots. Depending on the location of the spots, more than 600 forms of this species are distinguished.
The butterfly can be found from June to August. Apollo flies slowly, impressively, often gets tired, and sits on flowers.
Apollo is a real “sissy”, the butterfly needs good conditions external environment in order to survive. Bright sun and plenty of food are among the most necessary.
Admiral
Adult white admirals have black wings with white stripes. This color contrast helps to “break up” the wing line, thereby camouflaging the butterfly from predators. Their wingspan is approximately 60-65 millimeters. The flight is very interesting, elegant, consisting of short periods of flapping, followed by long soaring.
Red Admiral. This is a well-known brightly colored butterfly. This species constantly lives in warmer places, but in the spring it migrates north, and sometimes back in the fall. This large butterfly is easily identified by its striking dark brown, red and black wing pattern. Caterpillars feed on nettle leaves, while adults drink nectar from the flowers of plants such as buddleia (which is also called a butterfly bush because of this) and can feast on overripe fruits.
In northern Europe, it is one of the last butterflies to be seen before the onset of winter: it appears near a weak light and feeds on the nectar of autumn flowers on warm days. The red admiral is also known for the fact that when it overwinters, it becomes darker in color than individuals that have not yet experienced winter. The butterfly can also fly out on sunny winter days, for the most part this applies to southern Europe.
Mourning maid
For many people, their first childhood impressions of butterflies were formed when they met a large, spectacular, memorable mourning plant. And for some future entomologists these impressions turned out to be so strong that they determined their subsequent choice of profession.
The predominance of dark color on the wings of the mourning bird is associated with its names in other languages. So. Americans call it mourning cloak, and the French call it deuil - “mourning”, “sorrow”. Perhaps this was also taken into account by K. Linnaeus, who in 1758 named the butterfly antiopa - after the daughter of the Theban king Nikteus, who even by the standards of ancient greek myths I had to go through a lot of troubles and suffering.
“Dark coffee-colored, shiny, varnished, its wings seem velvety due to the abundance of colored dust, and towards the very belly or body they are covered as if with moss or thin hairs of a reddish color. The edges of the wings, both upper and lower, are trimmed with a pale yellow, fawn, rather wide jagged edge, cut out with scallops... and along the fawn border, on both wings, there are bright blue spots... "S. T. Aksakov
Hives
The specific epithet of the scientific name, urticae, comes from the word urtica (nettle) and is explained by the fact that nettle is one of the food plants of the caterpillars of this species.
Males differ little in color from females. The wings are brick-red above, with a number of large black spots, separated by yellow spaces at the costal margin; there is a small white spot at the top of the forewing. The basal half of the hind wing is brownish-brown, the outer half is brick-red, there is a sharp boundary between these areas. Along the outer edge of the wings there is a row of blue, crescent-shaped spots. The lower surface of the wings is brownish-brown; there is a wide yellowish stripe across the front wing.
Found everywhere in Russia, except the Far North.
Mother of pearl
Large pearlcrests from the genus Argynnis often fly together and are clearly distinguishable mainly on the underside of the hind wings. Males of the Great Forest Pearl (A. paphia) have darkening along the longitudinal veins on the fore wings; females are rufous or greenish-gray above. The bottom of the hind wings of this species has transverse light bands. The Aglaja mother-of-pearl (A. aglaja) has bright silver spots on the underside; the adippa pearler (A. adippe) has duller spots, and there is a row of ocelli along the edge. All these species develop on violets.
The large and beautiful mother-of-pearl daphne (Neobrenthis daphne) is rare in the Baikal region and is listed in the Red Book, but a similar species, meadowsweet mother-of-pearl (N. ino) is very common in meadows and glades
Forest pearlwort (male) 
Blueberries
A very large family, including small butterflies (wingspan 27-28 mm), many of which have a shiny, metallic color. A distinctive feature of bluebirds is their shortened front legs. Most European bluebirds are blue, although males are often brown. Among the bluebirds, there are also those whose rear pair of wings have characteristic outgrowths (“tails”), for which they are called “tails.” The family also includes bright orange chervonets on top. Russia is home to several hundred species of pigeons from more than fifty genera. Bluebirds fly across meadows, forest edges and clearings. Caterpillars feed on leaves of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Caterpillars of some species pupate in anthills.
Blueberry Icarus 
Wood blueberry or Poluargus 
Belyanki
A family of diurnal butterflies with predominantly white wings and a pattern of yellow, orange and black spots and fields, with club-shaped screeds, rounded triangular fore wings and ovoid hind wings.
Cabbage butterfly 
Swallowtail
The great naturalist Carl Linnaeus named this butterfly in honor of the mythical hero of the Trojan War, the famous doctor Machaon, who alleviated suffering and saved the lives of many wounded soldiers.
Swallowtail is found throughout the country, with the exception of the Far North.
The bright yellow wings of the swallowtail are distinguished by blackened veins and a wide black border with a wavy inner and jagged outer edge. Along the border there is a band of blue coating, especially bright on the hind wing, and along the outer edge there is a band of yellow spots-holes. The root area of the fore wing is black with a yellow coating. The hind wing is decorated with a bright red round spot and a black tail.
The caterpillar is not picky about food: it feeds on plants of the Apiaceae, Rutaceae, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families. The swallowtail overwinters in the pupal stage.
In most of its range, the swallowtail gives two generations a year, and only in its northernmost regions - one. Butterflies of the first generation fly in May - June, and of the second - in July - August.
Sericin montela
Sericin montela is one of the amazing Ussuri relics. The butterfly has been preserved here since ancient times, since the territory of the Primorsky Territory has never been subject to complete glaciation; is rare. The background color of the female's wings is dark brown. Its front wing is crossed by thin dark yellow and ocher-yellow bands of varying lengths. The flight of these butterflies is very slow, even sluggish. They always stick to the thickets of the caterpillar's food plant - kirkazon, which grows here and there along the banks of rivers, streams and at the foot of the hills.
The male's wings are white. The pattern of the forewing consists of black, predominantly elongated spots, as well as darkening along the edge of its apex. The rear wing is decorated more spectacularly. At its front edge there is usually a red elongated spot surrounded by a black frame. At the rear corner there is a bright red short band, the outer side of which is adjacent to blue spots framed in black. The hind wing is completed by a long thin brown-brown tail.
Maak tail bearer
This largest daytime butterfly in Russia surpasses many of its tropical relatives in its beauty. It’s hard to believe that the distribution area of this wonderful sailboat extends to 54° north latitude, where Tynda and northern Sakhalin are located.
The female is larger than the male, her wingspan reaches 135 mm, while that of the male is 125 mm. The green dotted coating evenly covers the entire dark brown forewing of the female. The pattern of its hind wings is the same as that of the male, but its shine is muted, and in the marginal wavy border, along with green-blue, red-violet shades also appear. Females are much more variable than males. Among them it is difficult to find two identical butterflies.
A significant part of the black forewing of the male shimmers with a green dotted coating, which, closer to the edge, thickens into a sparse emerald-blue border. The area free from green coating shines with magical black silk: it is covered with the finest and most delicate fragrant black hairs - androconia. The hind wings with a wavy edge and long tails shine, iridescent, with a blue-green pattern.
Two generations of P. maackii appear annually: spring butterflies are small, light and bright, while summer butterflies are twice as large and darker.
The Maaka tail-bearer lives in the Middle Amur region, Primorye, North Korea, Manchuria, Kuril Islands. In these places, butterflies are often found in broad-leaved and mixed forests, less often in spruce-fir forests. They also fly into taiga villages. During the period when subalpine plants bloom, butterflies rise into the mountains up to 2000 m above sea level: looking for food, they fly around treeless peaks in a circle.
Sometimes in Primorye you can observe how this huge dark butterfly, like a bird, rushes over a forest road, majestically flapping its powerful wings. On hot days, dozens of tailtails sit around roadside puddles, fluttering their flaring emerald green and blue wings. Disturbed, they take off in a dark cloud, from which drops of water, golden under the sun, rain down, shaken off by butterflies. An unforgettable, fabulous spectacle!
Oleander Hawkmoth
The color of the oleander hawk moth - one of the most beautiful not only in Russia, but also in the world - is dominated by bright grassy green colors. Therefore, it is very difficult to see him when he sits in foliage or grass.
The vast distribution area of the oleander hawkmoth includes all of Africa, India and the countries of the Middle East lying between them. There are reports that they have even reached Hawaii. Butterflies fly in the tropics all year round. From Africa and the Middle East, butterflies penetrate into Southern Europe; they live on the European continent and to the north. In Russia, they are most often found on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The further north you go, the less often they appear, although occasionally these wonderful flyers can be seen in the Baltic states and on the Kola Peninsula.
The main food plants of the caterpillars are oleander, periwinkle, and grapevine; They can also feed on some other plants.
The narrow front wings are decorated with a complex pattern of intricately curved green and brownish-lilac stripes of various shades. The hind wings are lilac-gray with a wide green outer edge. The color and pattern of the wings are harmoniously combined with the color of the butterfly's body.
Representatives of the swallowtail family are rightfully considered the brightest and largest butterflies. They attract attention with an unusual combination of colors and the original shape of the wings. The swallowtail butterfly can catch the eye of a curious observer anywhere in the world. About 20 species live in Russia, some are listed in the Red Book. One of interesting features Swallowtails have tails on their hind wings. This detail distracts the birds' attention, saving the butterfly's life.
Description of the family
Swallowtails or cavaliers (Papilionidae) united medium and large butterflies. The wingspan of the representatives of the family is 65-280 mm. Individuals with amazing body and wing dimensions live in the tropics. In Palearctic species, the wing pattern consists of black fields, bands and spots on a yellow or white background. Red and blue spots dilute the palette. The head is round, the eyes are faceted, naked. The antennae are short, club-shaped. Walking legs are well developed.
The front wings are triangular, the hind wings are oval. The outer edge is wavy, and many species have tail-like outgrowths. Characteristic sign family - the hind wings have a notch, so they do not adhere to the abdomen. All butterflies are active during the day, in sunny weather. Most produce one generation per year, in the southern regions - two.
Interesting fact. The Apollo Hanington sailboat lives in the Himalayas at an altitude of 5-6 thousand meters above sea level.
All representatives of the sailboat family are divided into three subfamilies:
The huge family of sailboats is divided into genera. One of them is Papilio or tail bearers. The group includes almost 200 species of butterflies, including swallowtail, Maaka swallowtails, zalmoxis, Alexanor, and Corsican. The swallowtail antimach, the largest butterfly, belongs to this genus. African continent. Its wingspan is 20-23 cm. Unlike many species, males are larger than females, in some cases reaching 25 cm. The main background of the wings is orange or ocher, the pattern is formed by dark brown stripes and spots.
Sailboat antimah
Caterpillars
The larvae of the species are as diverse as the adults. They differ in size, color, and choice of food plants. But all caterpillars of the swallowtail butterfly have an interesting anatomical feature in common. They have an unusual organ - a fork-shaped sac-like gland. It is called the osmetry and is located in the prothoracic segment. In case of danger, the caterpillar puts out orange horns. A secretion with an unpleasant, pungent odor is released from the gland. Osmetria are used by larvae early ages. Adult caterpillars do not protrude the gland. Besides swallowtails, only the corydalis butterfly has a similar organ.
Swallowtail caterpillar
Distribution area
The swallowtail family lives throughout the world in 6 geographic areas. The largest specimens are found in the tropics. Sailfish can be found near the border of the Arctic Circle and high in the mountains.
Swallowtail butterflies photos with names
One of the most numerous families of lepidopteran insects with almost 600 species includes many interesting specimens.
The world's largest diurnal butterfly with a wingspan of 28 cm. Its homeland is the tropical forests of the island New Guinea. The species has pronounced sexual dimorphism. The female is much larger, her color is predominantly brown and cream. The male is up to 20 cm in size and has narrow blue-green wings. The number of butterflies is limited; due to the destruction of natural habitats, they have become an endangered species.
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Apollos
Many representatives of the Apollo species of the Parnassius genus are listed in the Red Book of Russia and European countries. A diurnal butterfly with a wingspan of 65-90 mm is found on dry edges of pine forests, clearings, and alpine meadows. They settle in the mountains of Europe, southern Scandinavia and the Urals, Transcaucasia, Southern Siberia, and Mongolia. The main color of the wings is white, with a gray stripe running along the outer edge. There are black spots on the upper pair of wings, and red spots with a white center on the lower ones. Caterpillars develop on sedums.
Apollo
Interesting fact. The disturbed butterfly falls on its back, scrapes its legs and makes a hissing sound.
Swallowtail
Papiliomachaon is the most common species of sailboat in the European part of the Russian Federation. The wingspan of males is up to 80 mm, in females - up to 95 mm. On a bright yellow background, the forewings are covered with a pattern of black spots and veins. Along the edge there is a black border with light dots. The color of the hind wings is characterized by blue and yellow blotches, as well as a red eye at the inner corner. Subspecies of swallowtail live in the south of Siberia, the Amur region, Sakhalin, and Japan. In northern Europe, one generation appears per year, and in Africa - three. The lifespan of the imago is about 3 weeks.
Swallowtail
The caterpillar is green with black stripes and orange spots. Forage plants: hogweed, parsley, dill, celery.
Rumyantsev's sailboat
The butterfly was discovered by the Russian naturalist I. Eschscholz. Its name is dedicated to Count Rumyantsev, who financed the scientific expedition. The habitats of the Rumyantsev swallowtail butterfly are the Philippines, Java, Indonesia, Borneo. The wingspan of the butterfly is 12-14 cm. The forewings of males are black with silver-gray scales along the veins. The hind wings have a blue-gray coating. A garland of bright pink or yellow spots runs along the bottom edge. Females are much more attractive; the black background of the wings is diluted by crimson areas at the base. Many copies inner part The hind wings are white with black veins, with pink spots on the bottom. Caterpillars feed on perennial plants of the Kirkazon genus.
Sailboat Rumyantsev
The Papiliopalinurus butterfly or palinur swallowtail lives in the tropics - Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia. They are called emerald princesses for their bright green color. The size of the insect is 8-10 cm. The wings are black, but some of the scales are green. There are wide oblique stripes of light green color running down the middle. The tails on the hind wings are widened. The underside of the wings has a contrasting gray-brown color. The larvae feed on citrus fruits.
Butterfly palinure
Maak's Tailbearer
Maak's swallowtail is the largest butterfly in Russia among lepidopterans active in daytime. The species owes its name to the Russian naturalist, explorer of the Siberian expanses Richard Karlovich Maak. The wingspan of the imago is 12-14 cm. Their color appears blue-green. For its rare shade and red spots at the end of the hind wings, the insect was nicknamed the blue swallowtail. The front wings consist of black and green scales. Along the edge there is a wide, vague transverse stripe of a light green hue. The hind wings are green with a blue tint and black bands.
Sailboat Maak
The color of the female Maaka tail butterfly is varied; it is difficult to find two identical specimens. Usually the forewings are black or brown, without green scales. On the hind wings at the outer edge there are pronounced red spots. Insects live in Transbaikalia, the Amur region, Sakhalin, Central Asia, Japan, and South Korea. They live in broad-leaved and mixed forests. Males gather in groups of several dozen individuals on wet river banks. Females keep to themselves. Forage plants are Amur and Sakhalin velvet. Disturbed caterpillars push out the odorous gland osmetria from behind their heads. The butterfly is listed in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region.
Tailworm caterpillar
An interesting fact is that the Maaka swallowtail butterfly produces two generations per year; adults born in summer are 1.5 times larger than their spring relatives and have a darker color.
The sercinmontela butterfly is the only representative of the genus Sericinus. It lives in the Primorsky Territory, China and the Korean Peninsula. The male's wings are white; on the front, the pattern consists of black spots and darkening in the upper part. At the end of the hind wings there is a large red spot with a brown border. The tails are noticeably elongated. Females have brown wings with yellow wavy bands. The edges of the hind wings are covered with red and blue spots. Butterfly size is 65-70 mm. Females fly poorly and spend a lot of time in the grass. Forage plant kirkazon. The species is listed in the Red Book of Russia, the limiting factor is the destruction of the food supply.
Sercinmontela
Sailboat Ulysses
The Ulysses swallowtail butterfly lives in tropical rainforests and hills up to 800 km away. It is found in northern Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Females are shy and more active in the afternoon. Males gather near bodies of water and replenish mineral reserves by sucking water from wet soil. The background color of the wings is black. The area from the base almost to the edge of the wings is occupied by blue or blue fields. The tails of the hind wings are widened at the edges. Protective coloring on the underside of the wings in brown shades. The marginal buffy spots on the hind wings are emphasized by a light border. The caterpillars' food plants belong to the Rutaceae family.
Sailboat of Ulysses
Interesting fact. Male swallowtails of Ulysses actively react to blue objects, mistaking them for females. Butterfly catchers use this, they wave the bait, then cover the flying sailfish with a net.
Sailboat Kotzebue
The butterfly owes its name to the commander of the Russian research vessel Rurik, Otto Kotzebue. The insect is found in the Philippines. There are 5 known subspecies of insects. The scientific name of the Kotzebue swallowtail butterfly is Pachliopta Kotzebua. Its wingspan reaches 13-15 cm. The body of the swallowtail is red with black spots. This is a warning signal to birds that the insect is poisonous. The main color of the velvety wings is black. In females, white transverse bands are observed. On the inside of the hind wings there is a scattering of red spots, reminiscent of a heart shape. At home, the butterfly is called the “velvet scarlet rose.” The lifespan of the imago is 7 days.
Sailboat Kotzebue
Papilio Lowi
The Lovi swallowtail butterfly or Asian swallowtail butterfly lives in Borneo, the Philippines and Indonesia. The insect is named after the English naturalist Sir Hugh Lowe. The butterfly is a medium-sized species with a wingspan of 11-12 cm. The main color of the wings is black, interspersed with gray stripes on the front ones. There are red areas at the base of the wings. The color of females includes beige, orange and purple tones. They sit on flowers with their wings spread, showing the world their beauty.
Papilio Lowi
Caterpillars of this species feed on citrus plants of the rue family. The lifespan of the imago is one week. Often he buys beautiful butterflies to keep at home; with good care, Lovi's swallowtail lives for 2-4 weeks. They feed on orange juice and a 10% solution of natural honey.
What miracles does the great and powerful nature create! This is especially true for huge butterflies, which from unpleasant-looking caterpillars turn into real beauties, resembling flower buds fluttering through the air.
There are species of these insects that, with their size, can surpass the average bird. Basically, fluttering giants are common in the tropics. It is difficult to say which butterfly is the largest in the world, but the most grandiose ones are worth a closer look.
Madagascar Urania can be found on the island of Madagascar. It received this name in honor of the Muse of the science of astronomy. Its wingspan is 12 cm. This beauty is active during the day, warmed by the rays of sunlight, it flutters over flowers, collecting nectar from them.
The active growth of Urania begins in May and continues until the end of July. The Madagascan beauty is distinguished by the unusual color of its wings, which shimmer on sunlight the whole spectrum of colors of the rainbow.
This butterfly lives in Russia, mainly in the Far East. In addition, it can be found on the Japanese shores, Korea and China. It received this name in honor of the naturalist who studied insects at the end of the 19th century - Richard Maack. The wings of the Sailfish can open up to 13.5 cm.
The color of her wings is incredibly interesting:
- the front part of the male’s wings is painted black, on which a green coating flickers, condensing towards the edges into an emerald-colored border;
- on the opposite section of the wing you can see a kind of fringe, in the form of the finest lace of small hairs;
- the female's wings are uniformly colored brown, only a few green dots can be seen on its front surface;
- The border, located at the very edge of the beauty’s wings, contains shades of green-blue and red-violet.
Photo of Sailboat Maak Such butterflies are common in deciduous forests, but they can even be found in spruce forests and mixed plantings. At a time when widespread flowering of subalpine vegetation begins, Maak's Sailboat can rise to a height of 2000 m above sea level.
The Chimera is a truly unique butterfly; it is capable of performing incredible turns and tricks in the air. This ability is given to her by her wings, one of the largest in the world, which have a span of 15 cm.
Ornithoptera is common in New Guinea and the island of Java, it prefers tropical rainforests, living at an altitude of 1200 to 1800 meters above sea level.
Female Chimeras differ slightly from males in their color and size. Their wings are painted in shades of black and white, while males have a wide variety of shades.
The Pear Peacock Eye belongs to the order Lepidoptera. It lives both in Europe and in Russia. The wingspan of this giantess can vary from 12 to 15 cm.
Atlas is an incredibly useful butterfly; in Taiwan they have found use for the cocoons that remain after the caterpillars. Changes are stored in them and used as wallets. In India, farmers breed such butterflies to obtain fagar silk, which has qualitative differences from the products created by silkworms.
Male Atlas peacock eyes are able to find a female for mating several tens of kilometers away. Moreover, the mating process takes place over several hours. It is worth noting that the process of reproduction is key in the life of females; they die immediately after they create offspring.
Peacock-eye Hercules
This representative of the Lepidoptera family also received its name in honor of the hero Ancient Greece- Hercules. The Hercules peacock-eye is a real giant; it is capable of spreading its own wings (with an area of 263 square centimeters) over a distance of 27 cm, therefore it is considered the largest butterfly on the Australian continent.
Hercules is distinguished by unusually shaped wings, on which you can see a disc-shaped spot. These insects lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle.
This butterfly is distinguished not only by its incredible name, but also by its size. It is considered the largest of the daytime individuals and all thanks to its wings, the span of which can exceed 30 cm.
Birdwing lives in the tropics of New Guinea. It is protected by the state, which strictly ensures that the insect is not exported outside the country.
Tizania Agrippina
Agrippina is perhaps one of the largest butterflies in the world; experts also call it the moth. Tizania flies only at night, and it lives in Brazil and Peru, preferring tropical rainforests. Sometimes, when migrating, it can reach Mexico and the southern part of the United States.
The moth is difficult to fit in the palm of an adult man; the wingspan of some individuals reaches 31 cm. The butterfly feeds on bush leaves, it is not poisonous and is carefully protected by the state, because it is on the verge of extinction.
Here I will show three photos - caterpillar and butterfly swallowtail (Latin name Papilio machaon). This large butterfly belongs to the Swallowtail family ( Papilionidae) and is considered one of the most beautiful in our mid-latitudes.
Large (with a wingspan of up to 9 centimeters), bright yellow with black stripes and spots, with a red spot, a blue band and elongated tails on the hind wings, the butterfly flies so gracefully, swiftly and easily, like a bird, that you can simply admire it. The difference between its flight and other butterflies is exactly the same as the difference between the flight of, for example, an eagle and a sparrow. The first one soars high in the sky, and the second one “flickers” in the bushes. This butterfly stands out in beauty from the rest of the mostly small and grayish world of moths. It is also rare and listed in the Red Book.
These photographs, but in a large size (as for photo wallpaper), can be viewed here:
- http://bp21.org.by/p/wall1/lepid_pap1.jpg (204 Kb)
- http://bp21.org.by/p/wall1/lepid_pap2.jpg (237 Kb)
- http://bp21.org.by/p/book/bpwh59.jpg.jpg (169 Kb)
At the beginning of September, my wife was weeding carrots in the garden, came and said that she had found it on a leaf large, green and VERY BEAUTIFUL swallowtail caterpillar. She is in the first picture (photo 1). Swallowtail caterpillars feed on various wild plants of the Apiaceae family, but are often found on human-grown carrots and dill. A week ago, just before the cold weather, I saw that the caterpillar was no longer there - it had crawled away somewhere to pupate. It’s a pity I didn’t notice, it might die when we dig up the garden in the spring. Swallowtail pupae attached to a stem herbaceous plant or bushes, overwinter near the ground and only in May do butterflies emerge from them. They lay eggs, the caterpillars feed, and the second generation of butterflies emerges in early August. They lay eggs, the caterpillars pupate in September, the pupae overwinter and... further in a circle.
Butterfly photography(photos 2 and 3)... I took these photos differently than usual, which I will show later. I'll tell you a secret. This butterfly was hatched at home from a caterpillar I found and fed, which I kept in a glass jar. Before releasing the butterfly into the wild, I put the jar in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, so to speak, “frozen” the butterfly. And when she, stiff from the cold, was taken out into the bright sun and planted on a flower, she spread her wings wide with all her strength to quickly warm up in the warm sun (photo 2). That's why it seems like it's from a collection. But no, she's alive. Having warmed up, the butterfly lowered its wings, after a couple of seconds it fluttered and... flew away to become one with Nature. It was at this moment, before the flight, that I photographed her, so beautiful, (photo 3).
In total, there are about 550 species of this beautiful family in the world fauna, and almost all of them live in warm regions of the globe. In Belarus there is only one species, the common swallowtail. In the south of India, on the islands of the Indian Ocean and in Africa there is a real kingdom of sailboats. Only there, under the rays of the hot tropical sun, do they achieve their full beauty and grandeur. For example, in the wild forests of tropical Africa, the swallowtail Antimachus reaches a wing size of 23 cm.
How to save this beautiful butterfly? . Do not refine or reduce the damage from what is indicated in the paragraph above. But the most important thing is to love them as a small piece, a part of the beautiful and divine nature. And then a person will begin to realize that not only he wants to live on Earth, but also all other living things.
Georgy Kozulko
Belovezhskaya Pushcha
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