Butterfly dawn - spring mood in meadows and parks

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The Zorka butterfly is one of the representatives of the white butterfly family. This species is divided into several subspecies, all of which are considered diurnal. Butterfly has several names. It can be found under the name aurora, short-whiskered whiteweed or core-dawn. The latter name is due to the close connection of the insect with the meadow plant of the same name. She lays eggs on it, caterpillars are born on it and spend some part of their life cycle. The Zorka butterfly is considered one of the most beautiful and fragile among all existing butterflies.

Spring

Butterfly

The butterfly woke up and began to circle over the clearing. But everywhere there was only last year’s gray grass. She circled around and, not finding any spring primroses, sat down on a bright orange book left by the children.

Nodules

Buds swelled everywhere on the trees and bushes. They are like knots, like unsolved mysteries. Spring will untie the knots, the sun will straighten and smooth them out, and then from each bud, like a clue, leaves will appear into the light.

High water

Rocks, forests, houses are reflected in the big water... Reflection is like reality, only upside down. Above the earth there are sky and clouds, in the water there are the same sky and clouds. The birds even get confused: they either fly up or rush down, but when they see their reflection, they fly up again. The sky above, the sky below - flood.

Interesting facts about butterflies

1. The smallest butterfly, acetosia, has a wingspan of only about 2 millimeters. The largest, Tisani agrippina, has up to 28 millimeters.
2. Butterflies, like elephants, feed using their trunk. More precisely, a proboscis.
3. In total, there are about 165 thousand species of butterflies and moths in the world. Yes, yes, exactly thousands! Moreover, most of them prefer to lead a nocturnal lifestyle.
4. Hawkmoths, night moths, can howl in a wolf-like manner. This howling buzzing mimics that of a queen bee, allowing the hawkmoth to freely enter the beehive and feast on honey, which makes up a fair share of its diet.
5. Butterflies are found on all continents except Antarctica.
6. A butterfly's eyes are made up of more than a thousand faceted elements each.
7. The receptors responsible for taste are located on the legs of butterflies.
8. Some species of butterflies lay more than a thousand eggs during their very short lives, from which caterpillars then hatch.
9. Many other species, such as birds and chameleons, readily feed on butterflies.
10. The northernmost butterflies live less than a thousand kilometers from the North Pole, on Canada's Queen Elizabeth Island.
11. In China, India and some countries of South America, the population does not hesitate to eat butterflies.
12. Some species of butterflies can reach speeds of over 60 km/h during flight, covering a distance equal to twenty to thirty thousand of their own body lengths in a minute of flight.
13. Most butterflies are afraid of water, but, for example, a lilac moth can calmly emerge if it accidentally falls into the water, shake itself off and fly on.
14. Monarch butterflies understand medicinal plants and know how to use them for medicinal purposes if their offspring need help.
15. Butterflies do not have an organ called a heart.
16. Butterflies distinguish only three colors - red, yellow and green.
17. There are also vampire butterflies that feed in the same way as mosquitoes do - calyptra eustrigata. However, only males feed on blood, while females prefer plant foods.
18. The skeleton of a butterfly, or rather the exoskeleton, is not inside its body, but outside. All internal organs are located inside it.
19. The cabbage butterfly is very prolific. If all the offspring of at least one cabbage tree survived, so many of its descendants would be born in a season that they would weigh three times more than all the people on Earth combined.
20. In China, butterflies are considered a symbol of love and lovers.

Top 10 most beautiful butterflies in the world

https://stofactov.rf/20-interesting-facts-about-butterflies/

Natural enemies of peacock butterflies

Photo: Peacock butterfly

Butterflies have many enemies in all forms - they are in danger at any stage of life. Adult butterflies suffer less than others, but even they often die in the claws or beaks of predators.

They are hunted by:

• rodents;
• birds;
• large insects;
• reptiles.

It was to protect against these enemies that the peacock’s eye acquired such a bright color. It would seem that she does not help with this at all, on the contrary, she gives out a butterfly! In fact, when her wings are open, she is always alert and ready to fly away from a predator, but when she is resting, she closes them and merges with the bark of the trees.

If the predator nevertheless noticed her and attacked, she sharply opens her wings, and for a moment disorients him due to the sharp change in color - this brief moment is sometimes enough for salvation. Most often, butterflies die because of birds, which are much faster and capable of grabbing them even in flight. It is more difficult for other predators to do this, so all that remains is to lie in wait for them.

Caterpillars are hunted by the same predators as adults, and even more actively - caterpillars are more nutritious, and are also much less mobile, and certainly cannot fly away. Therefore, a significant number of them are exterminated - it is already a great success to survive to the cocoon, and even more so to the imago, since the pupa is even more defenseless.

As in the case of adults, caterpillars suffer most from birds, which love to fly into their clusters and eat dozens of them at once. But reptiles and rodents are not far behind: it is difficult for them to catch an adult butterfly, but a larva is a completely different matter. They are even threatened by ants, who, through coordinated actions, can kill a caterpillar that is much larger than them.

They still have ways to protect themselves from enemies: they can take a threatening pose, as if they are going to attack themselves, they begin to crawl in all directions, if they still live together - so at least part of them will survive, curl up into a ball and fall to the ground. They may also secrete a green liquid, designed to scare away predators.

Willow ribbonwort - twilight guest

freenatureimages.eu. Catocala electa, wingspan – 65-88 mm

The second name of this butterfly is willow ribbon. The insect leads a crepuscular lifestyle, so you are unlikely to see it during the day. The butterfly's front wings are gray and inconspicuous, but the lower wings are bright red with black edging and spots in the middle. Moreover, in males the raspberry shade predominates, and in females it is red. The Ribbonwort can also be seen in the fall. It is most often found near bodies of water, in meadows and wetlands. It feeds on tree sap.

pyrgus.de

Caterpillars of the willow tapeworm are perfectly camouflaged. The yellow-gray body is covered with small black dots, the head is brown. The insect feeds on willow and poplar leaves, so it does not harm garden crops. But if you have a willow growing on your site, be vigilant.

How to attract a ribbon girl. It would seem that the insect is nocturnal - why attract it? You can do this at least just to see this amazing butterfly. In the evening, turn on a flashlight or other artificial light source - and the ribbon fly will come to visit you.

How does the dawn butterfly live?

Its flight time begins in early spring - in March, and ends in the 1st-2nd decade of July. For example, Zorka zegris, like other representatives, prefers to stay awake during the day and rest at night. They love warmth and a lot of sunlight, which is especially favorable for their development: if they settle in cold places, where it is always gloomy, too humid or dry, they will not be able to bear offspring and will die. They move in order to search for food (these are most often males, and females, from the moment of birth, continue to live in the same place where they were born in order to later bear offspring).

The Zorka butterfly is not at all aggressive towards its relatives; there is no rivalry in their relationships. The development cycle of this insect lasts about a year - from the formation of the egg to the maturation of the adult, which lives only two weeks.

Preparing for winter

Butterfly

In the southern regions, the shrub endures the dormant season during the cold period under a layer of mulch. It is possible to preserve the plant in winter in harsh climates. To do this, follow the following algorithm:

• carefully dig up the bush, trying not to damage the root system;
• cut the stem to a height of 10 cm;
• thin adventitious roots are removed;
• wrapped in high fibrous peat mixed with sawdust or paper and sand;
• put in a cold place, maintain a regime no higher than +3, +7°C;
• They are taken out in March and prepared for planting.

Pots for planting tubers Nochki are filled with a mixture of 2 parts turf, 1.5 parts peat, 1 part sand and several handfuls of brick chips.

What does the dawn eat?

Photo: Owl dawn

Unlike larger owls, Zorka hunts small animals.

Her diet often includes:

• butterflies and fat beetles, larvae;
• small frogs;
• lizards;
• small night birds;
• baby mice, less often – adult mice.

She also hunts in a unique way, different from other owls. While other species of owls prefer to swoop down on prey from above, tracking it from the air, Zorka sits on a branch, as if in ambush. When she sees a suitable prey, the owl begins to actively turn her head to examine it from all sides and make sure that this is the food she needs. If the dawn sees a flock of nocturnal insects, it may not hide, but will simply start chasing them all at once, eating them on the fly. But more often the bird catches one victim and carries it in its paw to a branch, and only then eats it.

The bristles around an owl's beak are very sensitive. If the victim in her paw is still alive, she is in no hurry to start eating, but first feels it with her beak, closing her eyes. She does this to understand that her prey is not dangerous, and closed eyes do not allow the prey to attack the owl in a vulnerable place. Zorka is picky about food, so if she feels the wings of an insect, the first thing she does is tear them off. Zoreks are kept at home, where their diet becomes extremely varied.

The owl's home diet includes:

• frozen mice, chickens, which are cut into small pieces. Owls do not like the meat of adult animals, as it is tough and difficult to digest;
• vegetable feeds of the spring-summer period. Strawberries, raspberries, pears, apples, grapes, melon, chopped dandelion, acacia;
• insects that the owl eats in the wild: grasshoppers and locusts, chafer larvae, bronze beetles, crickets, cockroaches, mealworm larvae, ant pupae - the owl eats all this with great eagerness and in any quantity;
• For calcium, owls are given cottage cheese mixed with a chicken egg, carrots and buckwheat. Birds also eat white bread soaked in cow's milk well.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Pair of peacock butterflies

These butterflies live alone. When the breeding season begins, the males divide the territory among themselves, after which each one waits for the female to appear. When this happens, he begins a mating ritual, which includes flying together with mating dances. Butterflies also spread pheromones around themselves, which make it easier for them to find each other.

As a result, the female is fertilized and lays a hundred or several hundred eggs, almost always on a nettle. They take a week or two before the caterpillars emerge - faster in warm weather and longer in cold weather.

These insects are characterized by complete transformation. The first generation caterpillars appear in May, and the second in mid-summer. At first they remain in the brood, and when they grow up, they crawl away from each other and begin to live separately.

The caterpillars are dark in color and covered with long spines, although in reality they offer little protection from predators, but are designed to at least scare away some of them. The caterpillar really looks quite unapproachable, but predators are already accustomed to this species, although it can really have an effect on young and not particularly hungry ones.

In total, the peacock eye lives in the form of a caterpillar for about a month, and its main activity during this time is feeding. She chews the leaf almost continuously, and grows 20 times, her weight increasing even more. Then it pupates and spends 10-20 days in this form, depending on the weather - as in the case of the transformation from egg to larva, the warmer it is, the faster it passes this form.

The pupa can be attached to tree trunks, fences, walls; depending on the color of their surface, its color can also vary, mimicking its surroundings - it can be from light green to dark brown. The pupa, like the caterpillar, has spines.

When development ends, finally breaking the cocoon, the crown of the butterfly's development, the imago, its adult form, appears. She will need very little time to get used to the wings, after which she will be completely ready to fly.

Most common varieties

Let's look at them in more detail. As mentioned earlier, today the mirabilis flower is represented by more than 50 varieties. Yalapa is the most popular because it has unique properties, however, the following varieties are also widespread in our country:

1. Elvira. A characteristic feature of this variety of mirabilis is its chic fluffy crown. The shoots are quite wide in diameter and very strong. The leaf blades have a dark green tint. The flowers reach 4 centimeters in diameter.
2. Red lollipop. It grows in height to almost one meter. The stems have a smooth texture and dark green color. The leaves are oval and slightly wavy along the edge. The diameter of the fruit is on average 6 centimeters.
3. Iolanta. The bush has a classic round shape. The shoots are quite thick and highly branched in the upper part. The main difference from other representatives of this group is the bright flowers of quite large size. The flowering period lasts from late spring until the onset of the first frost.
4. Tee time Fomyula Miksche. As in the case of the moth, the shrub has a spherical crown and grows up to 90 centimeters. The leaves have a simple shape and are slightly elongated in length. The shoots are well branched and have no foliage in the lower part. The fruits are medium in size and have a bright color, so the flowers of this variety will be an excellent decoration for any garden plot.

In addition to the above-mentioned mirolibis, multi-flowered varieties are very popular among many gardeners. They have excellent decorative properties, so they are often used in landscape design.

Range and habitats

Extratropical Eurasia. Found throughout Eastern Europe. A common species of whitefish in spring. It extends to the north up to the coast of the Barents Sea in the west and the Polar Urals in the east. Absent in the desert zone in the southeast of the European part, and in the dry steppe subzone it is confined to river floodplains.

Butterflies prefer open forest or bordering forest, slightly damp, mixed-grass areas: clearings, edges, clearings, clearings. Actively flying males can penetrate quite far into open spaces, such as meadows in floodplains and roadsides; cross urban wastelands. The species is confined to mesophilic habitats with tree and shrub vegetation. Rise into the mountains up to 2000 m above sea level. m. On the Kola Peninsula it is associated with anthropogenic meadow biotopes. In Moscow, it is found in urban forests, from where it penetrates into adjacent territories, including residential areas.

Notes

1. ↑ 12345678910
   Distribution, feeding and system of butterflies on [www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/pieridae/pierinae/anthocharis/index.html www.nic.funet.fi] Anthocharis Boisduval, Rambur, Duméril & Graslin, 1833
2. Korshunov Yu. P.
   Keys to the flora and fauna of Russia // Mace Lepidoptera of Northern Asia. Issue 4. - M.: Partnership of Scientific Publications KMK, 2002. - P. 41. - ISBN 5-87317-115-7.
3. [www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/whites/welc1.htm Captain's European Butterfly Guide] Orange Tip - Anthocharis cardamines
4. [www.wyrcd.com/?Semeistvo_BELYaNKI_Anthocharis_cardamines Lepidoptera
   -
   Anthocharis cardamines
   ]
5. [butterflies.ru/butts/00013.html Zorka] on the website “Butterflies on European Postage Stamps”

Development of the scoop

There is a wide variety of cutworms, so the life cycle of different species varies greatly.

Caterpillars have up to 6 instars, during which up to 5 molts occur. Northern and mountain varieties generally have a two-year life cycle. Pupation of caterpillars occurs in earthen litter, soil or plant tissue. Mostly pupae overwinter, but middle-aged or older caterpillars can also overwinter. In warm areas, cutworms develop continuously, with several generations being formed per year. In winter, they go into a “cold stupor.”

The eggs are hemispherical in shape. The surface of the eggs is cellular or ribbed. Female cutworms lay eggs on the ground. The fertility of females can reach about 2 thousand eggs.

The moth butterfly family has many species.

The caterpillar has a naked body, but it may have primary setae and, in some cases, secondary setae. The body color of the caterpillars is green, yellow or brown. There are longitudinal stripes on the body. Sometimes false legs may be located on the abdominal segment. Noctuid caterpillars are active at night, and during the day they lead a hidden lifestyle. In some species, caterpillars are predators; they additionally feed on scale insects and scale insects.

Range and habitat

The species is distributed over a large part of Eurasia - from the British Isles to Japan. The northern border of the range is at the latitude of the Arctic Circle. To the south, butterflies spread to the desert zone. Adult insects can be seen in the mountains up to an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. In the southern part of its range, the dawn flies from late March to June, in northern latitudes and at high altitudes - from mid or late April almost all summer.

The diurnal butterfly prefers mixed-grass meadows (dry and wet), slopes of ravines, light forest edges, roads and clearings. Dawns live in city parks, squares, and fly in gardens and hedges. Butterflies choose well-lit areas at the border of trees and herbaceous vegetation. Males can fly in search of females far along the floodplain of the river and railway embankment.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Aurora butterfly

The breeding season and laying of eggs in the Aurora occurs once a year. When the Aurora’s active summer arrives, each individual begins to look for a suitable mate. Males are the most active in this regard. They persistently take the initiative, courting and flitting about females. Males tend to display bright orange wings, attracting females to choose them for mating.

After mating, the female lays eggs. One female lays from one to three eggs. She first selects a suitable flower for this. This is necessary so that immediately after the larva appears, it can eat plants. During egg laying, a female individual sprays special pheramones on the selected plant, which indicate that this plant is already occupied.

The larva develops over 5-15 days. This period occurs from the end of May to the middle of the first month of summer. The larvae, which have turned into caterpillars, begin to actively eat everything that can be eaten: juicy, green foliage, seeds, flowers, ovaries. The caterpillar has a green color with a blue tint and black dots all over its body. A distinctive feature is also the white line on the back. Over the next 5-6 weeks, molting occurs four times.

The latest generation of caterpillars travel down the plant stem and pupate using a special thread. At the stage of existence in the form of a pupa, the Aurora is extremely vulnerable. The resulting pupa has the shape of a green cone. Subsequently, it darkens and becomes almost brown. In this form, it practically merges with dry vegetation, resembling a thorn or a withered pod. In this form, the aurora waits out the cold winter. If the stem of the plant to which the pupa is attached is damaged or broken, it will certainly die. About 10 months after the formation of the pupa, the imago appears.

Biology[edit | edit code]

Swallowtail butterfly: diversity of subspecies and features of the life of the swallowtail
The species develops in one generation per year. Findings of the species at the end of March are known from the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. In the middle zone, flight time lasts from the end of April to the end of June. In the forest-tundra and tundra zones, fresh males appear in the first ten days of July. Butterflies feed on flowering willows ( Salix

) and flowers of forbs.

After mating, the female lays 1, sometimes 2-3 eggs on inflorescences, less often on pedicels and young pods of food plants. The caterpillar is bluish-green, with small blackish dots, a dark green head and a whitish dorsal line on the 1st and 5th body segments. Develops on some cruciferous grasses from late May to mid-July, feeding on petals or young seeds in pods. Pupation in July. The pupa overwinters. The pupa is smooth, green or light brown with white side stripes.

Food plants for caterpillars: common spadefoot spadefoot ( Alliaria officinalis

), representatives of the genus
Alliaria
, including the common spadefoot spadefoot (
Alliaria petiolata
), common colza (
Barbarea vulgaris
), shepherd's purse (
Capsella bursa-pastoris
), representatives of the genus
Cardamine
, including the meadow capsicum (
Cardamine pratensis
), woad (
Isatis tinctoria
), annual milkweed (
Lunaria annua
), marsh fireweed (
Rorippa islandica
), representatives of the genus
Sisymbrium
, representatives of the genus
Thlaspi
, including field woad (
Thlaspi arvense
), smooth tower (
Turritis glabra
).

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Pair of Dawns

During the mating season, birds are especially talkative: they begin to constantly call to each other and scream for 10-13 minutes. During this time, females look for males and talk to each other. After such negotiations, the male flies to the female, and they form a seasonal pair.

The nest is located either in a hollow and abandoned nest of other birds, or on the ground, in dense thickets or among stones. The female lays 3-6 eggs, which she insulates with her own down, and the male brings branches and leaves for the nest. While the dawn hatches the eggs, the male brings her food. When the chicks hatch, the parents immediately begin feeding them. Since the dawns do not have a crop with which they could regurgitate food for the chicks, the male tears the insect into small pieces. The chicks appear completely blind, but with excellent hearing, with the help of which they recognize their parents.

When the chicks are 11 days old, they can eat small insects whole. On the 21st day of life, the chicks try to fly out of the nest, and the most hesitant ones are pushed into the air by their parents. It is extremely rare for chicks to fall and die - in most cases such flights are successful. Parents hover over the flying chicks and make sure their first flight goes well.

Parents accompany the chicks until they reach the age of 2-3 months. All the time they monitor the children’s flights and teach them how to hunt: for example, they show that there are often a lot of insects near lanterns and other light sources. Owls reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 months. In the wild, zorki live 6-7 years, in captivity they can live up to 10-12.

Where does the peacock butterfly live?

Photo: Day peacock butterfly

Over large areas, including almost all of Europe and most of Asia. These butterflies prefer temperate and subtropical climates, so they are easy to find in Russia, as well as in the rest of Eurasia, except for the tropical south and deserts, as well as the tundra.

Their concentration is especially high in Germany, and in Central Europe in general. They also live on many islands located around Eurasia, for example, in Japan. But not at all: for example, the peacock’s eye did not reach Crete. For some reason, these butterflies are not found in North Africa, despite the climate suitable for them.

Most often they can be found in forest clearings and garden plots - they love areas close to forests, but at the same time well lit by the sun and rich in flowers. They rarely fly into the thick of the forest because there is not enough sun there, and there is a risk of damaging the leaves by flying through too dense vegetation.

They can also live in moderately mountainous areas up to an altitude of 2,500 meters; they are no longer found higher. They love forest parks, and even more so city parks; they are found in gardens, clearings, as well as along the banks of lakes and rivers - in short, while walking in nature you can meet this butterfly even in the city. But their numbers are clearly orders of magnitude lower in comparison with the same urticaria.

Often the peacock eye migrates over long distances in order to find a more suitable habitat: they can fly tens and even hundreds of kilometers, although this takes them a lot of time - the butterfly cannot overcome a long distance at once, it needs to replenish its strength with nectar and rest, basking in the sun.

Garden decoration

The decorative mirabilis flower, depending on the variety, can grow from 30 centimeters to one meter in height. The height of the plant determines where in the garden you place it. It is advisable to move tall bushes into the background so that they do not block their lower counterparts. And vice versa, 30-centimeter mirabilis bushes, such as the Olympus or Butterfly varieties, are best brought to the foreground for the harmony of the entire garden landscape composition. Keep in mind that those plant varieties that are tall are ideal for beautiful original and decorative hedges. Suitable neighbors for them are:

• daisies and daisies;
• marigolds, as well as their mixture;
• nigella and other annual flowers.

Mirabilis is used not only as a garden plant, but is also grown in flower pots and pots on terraces, balconies and verandas. In this case, it is necessary to select containers that are deep enough for the plants.

Mirabilis is valued by gardeners and landscape designers for its uniqueness and the slight touch of romance that it gives to the garden, the most popular mirabilis Jalapa. Some of its varieties are quite capable of turning an ordinary garden into a fabulous and magical one. When flowering occurs, it is impossible to take your eyes off it.

But unfortunately, the exotic mirabilis flower, despite its unpretentiousness and excellent external characteristics, is not yet found too often in our dachas and garden plots. It is also interesting because if the day is cloudy and the sun is not showing, it can even bloom around the clock.

Growing mirabilis flowers is possible both as individual specimens and in group compositions. It looks very picturesque against the backdrop of uniform green grass or lawns.

Mirabilis tolerates winds and drafts well; it also does not need to be protected from precipitation in the form of rain. But if it suddenly starts to hail, then, of course, you should cover the plant with plastic wrap. Mirabilis seedlings also need film cover.

Types of hawk moths

Wine hawkmoth (also called "grape hawkmoth" or "rose hawkmoth") is found on grapevines. This species is distinguished by its bright color, large size and sharp spine.

The lilac hawk moth is one of the largest butterflies that adorns the hawk moth family. Its wingspan ranges from 90 to 120 mm. The hind wings are colored pink, and rings can be seen on the abdomen, some of which are also pink, while others are brown. The lilac hawk moth differs from other species in its proboscis - its length is approximately the same as the insect’s body. The caterpillar can be of two colors - green or purple.

Hawkmoth is a hummingbird of the middle zone. Indeed, as you can see from the photo, it won’t be difficult to find common features between a butterfly and a bird. It's a joke of nature - hummingbirds are the tiniest birds, their weight is usually no more than 2 g, and hawk moths are the leaders among butterflies in size. While feeding, insects do not sit on flowers, but seem to hover over them, quickly flapping their wings. It seems that a tiny bird is hovering over the bud. In central Russia, one of the most common species is the bedstraw hawk moth.

The linden hawk moth is easily recognizable due to its front wings with jagged edges, the span of which can be from 60 to 80 mm. And here we have photographs of the largest butterflies in the world. Color ranges from olive green to rust with irregular dark spots. The hind wings are yellow ocher. The caterpillar of this species is green with red and yellow stripes. You can see it in summer on birch, alder and linden trees.

The moth hawk moth is not protected from the dangers that await it in its natural habitat everywhere. For example, wasps and moths can lay eggs on the surface of the body of a butterfly or pupa. The emerging parasites use the internal organs of the hawk moth as food. The night hawk moth can also be killed by chemical insecticides used by humans, as well as be eaten by birds. Therefore, the insect is forced to defend itself, sometimes using unusual methods. For example, a hawkmoth larva can easily feign death during a bird attack. By the way, here is a list of all moths.

Images

Shown from 31st to 60th (30 of 102 images found). Page: first|previous|2|next|last

Interesting Facts

Orange spots signal to insectivorous birds and other enemies of the dawn that the butterfly is poisonous. The female, which does not have a bright warning color, behaves more secretively and is hardly noticeable in the forbs. Even at the larval stage, the aurora’s body accumulates a substance that irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive organs of enemies.

During laying, the female releases a pheromone onto the plant organs to warn other females that the flower is occupied. Rivalry also manifests itself at other stages of development. A strong caterpillar can eat a weak larva if they compete on the same food plant.

Admirals in captivity

Surprisingly, admiral butterflies can be kept in captivity. To do this, it needs to emerge from the caterpillar stage so that it can better adapt to new conditions. You need an aquarium without water, but with food plants and a net on top.

There should always be fresh air and high humidity. Vertical branches are also needed so that the young butterfly can spread its wings. The diet consists of fruit juices, honey drinks and fruits.

Photo: avto.goodfon.ru

Population and species status

Photo: Zorka

Zorka is a bird that has no commercial value for humans and is not an object of sport hunting. However, due to deforestation, its population has declined significantly, although it is not endangered. Thanks to their migratory lifestyle, the dawns successfully survive many human interventions in nature.

In 2008, Zorka was listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region and is protected in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Smolensk Region. But in the international classification Otus Scops, the owl is listed as a species that does not need protection and is not in danger of extinction.

As a protective measure, special nesting places are provided for the dawns in the form of artificial hollows in trees. They are moving Zoreks to nature reserves and trying to breed them in zoos, but in captivity they are reluctant to breed.

Zorka is one of the most unusual birds of prey. With her secretive lifestyle, she is open to contact with people, curious and playful; Dawns are now successfully breeding in protected areas, and their population is increasing.

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Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Zorka in nature

Like many birds of prey, Zorka is a solitary bird. During the day, it hides in bushes, hollows or nests on tree trunks, where it remains invisible thanks to its camouflage. The owl can stretch its body and raise its ears in such a way that it looks like a tree branch - it is very difficult to notice in this position.

At night, dawn descends to hunt and sits in ambush in the trees. She is careless and trusting of people. Out of her curiosity, she allows people to get very close to her, which is why she is easy to catch - the owl does not always have time to take off in time.

When flying in open spaces, the owl prefers to maneuver as much as its body constitution allows. Due to the frequent flapping of its wings, it looks like a very large butterfly. An owl can also hover in the air, catching gusts of wind, like large birds of prey.

Dawns rarely cry, mainly during the mating season. When frightened or approaching danger, the owl emits a loud cry, reminiscent of a cat's squeal - this is how it notifies the chicks or nearby owls about approaching predators. A female who is trying to be taken out of a nest with chicks may emit a muffled, threatening hiss.

Owls can be purchased from nurseries for home keeping. The dawns quickly get used to the person and begin to recognize him as their friend: they willingly sit on him, play, and feed from their hands. Zorki are playful owls who love to tinker with scraps of fabric and torn paper. They are the easiest to keep compared to other owls, since they are small in size, not picky about food, and only require a warm room and a few comfortable perches for equipment.

Morphological characteristics of cutworm

Cutworms (Noctuidae).
The head of the moth is round, the forehead is characteristically convex; some individuals, on the contrary, have depressions on the forehead.

In females, the antennae have a simple structure, they are thread-like or comb-like, sometimes they can be framed by fluffy cilia. The structure of the antennae of males is more complex.

Noctuids living in the mountains have elliptical or kidney-shaped eyes. Some species have simple eyes. The proboscis is well developed; in a calm state it is curled. In some species the proboscis is reduced. The surface of the proboscis is covered with “taste cones”.

There are “bloodthirsty” exceptions among cutworms - individuals live in the tropics that feed on the lacrimal glands of mammals and their blood. Only males are bloodthirsty; they have a reinforced proboscis. Females have an undeveloped proboscis, so their diet is more “dietary”; they extract juice from fruits and plants.

Owls are nocturnal moths.

The palps of cutworms can be short or elongated. The head, chest and abdomen are often covered with scales and hairs. In addition, cutworms may have tufts of hairs.

Spurs are often located on the lower legs; other species have claws and spines. The shape of the wings is almost triangular, sometimes it can be elongated, and rarely rounded. Some species of moths have long and narrow wings; such wings allow butterflies to fly long distances. In mountain species, the wings are short, and sometimes they can be completely reduced.

Cutworm butterflies have a body covered with hairs.

The noctuid's body is full and covered with thick hairs. The wings have a pattern of spots; the spots are round, wedge-shaped and kidney-shaped. Some species have silvery and golden spots on their wings. The hind wings can be yellowish, blue, red and white. Noctuid moths, which live in climates with colorful nature, often have distinctive patterns on their wings and bodies.

Notes on taxonomy[edit | edit code]

In Eastern Europe it is represented by the nominative Euro-Siberian subspecies. For the Caucasus, a number of works provide the Western Asian subspecies Anthocharis cardamines phoenissa

Kalchberg, 1894, which is distinguished by round and large white spots on the undersides of the wings. However, this feature is also characteristic of many butterflies from different parts of their range, especially in the southern areas of distribution. Some individuals collected in the most arid parts of the Caucasus also have another noticeable character: a gray blurred internal border of an orange apical field, similar to that of the arid species Anthocharis gruneri. However, this trait is not stable - not all Caucasian individuals of the species have it.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Dawn butterfly

Aurora belongs to arthropod insects, the order Lepidoptera, and the family of white butterflies. The butterfly is a representative of the subfamily pierinae, genus anthocharis, a species of dawn. The Zorka butterfly has long been considered the embodiment of grace, sophistication and fragility. In ancient Russian myths and tales, the butterfly appears in the image of the goddess of dawn, who brings daylight. Carl Linnaeus was involved in the description of the butterfly, the study of its lifestyle and its cycles.

Paleontologists say that butterflies are among the oldest creatures on earth. The oldest discovery of the ancestors of modern butterflies indicates that they existed approximately 200 million years ago. They appeared much earlier than the most ancient species of flowering plants. According to the discovery, the ancient butterflies resembled moths in appearance. This find made it possible to establish that this type of insect appeared almost 50-70 million years earlier than scientists originally assumed. Initially, ornithologists linked the period of appearance of butterflies to the period of the earth's population with flowering plants, as the main food supply for butterflies.

Video: Butterfly dawn

Another proof that butterflies appeared before flowering plants is the discovery of the scientist and researcher from Germany Van De Schotbrugge. The scientist and his team discovered particles of woody hard rocks in Germany that were about 200 million years old. When studying these rocks, remains of wing scales of ancient primitive butterflies were discovered in them. This species existed on Earth for a short period of time. During the drought period, at the end of the Triassic period, their numbers sharply decreased due to insufficient moisture.

Scientists do not rule out that it was during this period that the ancient ancestors of butterflies formed a proboscis, which made it possible to collect small drops of dew. Subsequently, individuals of this species of butterflies evolved, acquired an appearance similar to modern species and learned to use the proboscis to obtain the main source of food - nectar.