Among the thousands of species of butterflies, you will definitely find large and barely noticeable, bright and simple, transparent and shaggy. But each of them is beautiful and magical in its own way. An ancient legend says that whoever catches a winged beauty can whisper his dream to her, she will convey her cherished desire to heaven, and the dream will certainly come true.
In Japan, it is generally accepted that a winged flower flying into a house portends happiness and joy for the family, and dream books interpret dreams with its participation as promising wealth and good luck. In some parts of the world, butterflies are perceived not just as graceful creatures that decorate the planet, but also as healers. For example, some clinics in Sweden use them to treat stress.
In a number of other countries, enterprising lovers of lepidoptera, inspired by the beauty of the quivering insects, were able to transform their hobby into a fairly successful business - offices and agencies specializing in organizing all kinds of celebrations and holidays. Butterflies are used in so-called “fireworks” or as original gifts in a box, and also serve as a very unusual interior decoration.
Scientists believe that about a thousand species of lepidoptera still remain unknown to science. Perhaps in the distant tropics such winged beauties soar that the human eye has never seen, but the diversity of those known is simply breathtaking. Here is a selection of the most amazing butterflies on the planet.
The Prince of Darkness is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world
The large butterfly Prince of Darkness is considered an excellent representative of the largest and most dazzling insects. The subspecies of this butterfly includes the Emperor, which attracts special attention with its bright colors. Unfortunately, like many butterfly species, the Prince of Darkness lives only ten days. The wings of a beautiful butterfly resemble a snake's head, and therefore such camouflage saves the butterfly from many hunters.
Death's Head (Acherontia atropos)
The original pattern on the insect's body gave the butterfly an eerie and memorable name. In the upper part the outlines of a human skull are clearly visible. At the same time, the Death's Head is bright, contrasting and noticeable among the foliage, and only this color helps it scare away insect hunters.
Queen Alexandra's sailboat
Many collectors would be happy to acquire a delightful specimen - a butterfly with the unusual name Queen Alexandra's Swallowtail. Representatives of beautiful insects live in New Guinea. The unique butterfly varies in color depending on its gender. For example, males have bright wings, with blue and green ornaments, while females have slightly duller wings, but their wingspan reaches 28 centimeters. The color of the insects allows them to camouflage themselves in the foliage of bright exotic vegetation.
Glory to Bhutan
The amazing elongated shape of the wings of the Glory of Bhutan butterfly makes the insect unusual, distinguishing it from a number of relatives. The span reaches 10 cm. At the end of the rear part of the wing there are three small tails, and the wings themselves are decorated with picturesque spots.
The butterfly's usual habitat is highland areas located at an altitude of 2600 meters above sea level. The bright color of the insect is designed to scare away animals, warning of its inedibility.
The most beautiful butterfly in the world: photo of the Madagascar Comet
The unusual beauty and large size of the butterfly surprises at first sight. The coloring of the Madagascar Comet is unusually bright, and therefore you can admire such a beauty ad infinitum. The tassels on the wings of a butterfly make it not only the most beautiful, but also the longest. The Madagascar Comet lives only three days, since nature endowed it with beauty, but deprived it of the digestive system.
Admiral
The bright beauty with velvety-dark wings received its name for the similarity of colors with admiral's ribbons and stripes - its characteristic orange ribbons are its calling card. The insect distinguishes blue, yellow and green colors, and also has a well-developed sense of smell - segmented antennae located on the forehead are capable of enhancing odors at a great distance.
Admiral butterflies are very active and are always on the move. On a fine day they can easily be found in gardens, parks or near water bodies. At the same time, the insect has no fear of people and can sit on the palm or shoulder.
Females of this species never suffer from a lack of attention. Individuals of the opposite sex show extraordinary activity during mating games, constantly flying around and seeking the lady's favor. According to experts, after mating, butterflies “disconnect” from reality and do not react to surrounding events.
Maak's swallowtail is the most beautiful butterfly in Russia
The beautiful butterfly Swallowtail Maaka is a daytime inhabitant of the Primorsky Territory and the Kuril Islands. Large individuals have a wingspan of about 13 centimeters. Males are distinguished from females by the green coating of their black wing. Females are distinguished by a variety of velvety shades, so it is difficult to find repeating colors. For food purposes, butterflies can rise up to two kilometers in height.
Morpho peleides
The bright blue wings of these beauties immediately attract attention. On the sides they have a black border and white dots. The simplicity and magnificence of this insect makes us look again and again at the photo, which shows large wings the color of the summer sky.
These butterflies can be found in Central America in Mexico. The wingspan is 12.5 cm.
Tizania Agrippina is an unusual name for the most beautiful butterfly.
A striking representative of the Brazilian tropical forests is the butterfly Tizania Agrippina. The beautiful fluttering insect is about nine centimeters long, but its wingspan can reach thirty centimeters. Although the butterfly is nocturnal, it is still often mistaken for a small bird.
Zizula hylax
This butterfly is the smallest on the list. With a wing length of only 6 millimeters, the insect is distinguished by its unprecedented beauty and color tints. Collectors are fighting for the right to own at least one such specimen for their collection.
Pyrameis cardui: simplicity and sophistication
Pyrameis cardui is popularly called Burdock. The elegant, moderately simple appearance makes the butterfly unsurpassed and therefore delightful. A representative of the wonderful world of insects lives in all corners of the planet.
Amazing nature never ceases to delight the human eye with its unique representatives of flora and fauna. One can gaze at the magnificence of the most beautiful butterflies in the world for hours. It’s not for nothing that there are various traveling exhibitions of live butterflies around the world, where you can see and personally appreciate the beauty of unique flying insects. Of course, at such exhibitions you rarely see the most beautiful butterflies listed in today’s post, but worthy specimens are definitely found there.
Peacock eye
Perhaps the most famous European butterfly, it got its name due to its color scheme, reminiscent of the color of a peacock and the distinctive “eyes” on its wings. The base color of her scales is bright red, while the underside is dark brown with fine gray ripples and, to be honest, looks pretty grim.
The cubs use different plants as food, but they give particular preference to nettles, raspberries, hops and, less commonly, willow and hemp. Winged individuals love more than others to feast on the nectar of thistle, burdock, scabiosa, thyme and various garden flowers. They are also often found on saturated soil or bark from which plant sap flows.
The peacock's eye is a regular inhabitant of areas where there is no human intervention in natural biosystems. In agricultural areas, the butterfly is much less common, since its caterpillars feed on exterminated plants that are of no value to humans. To increase the population of this beautiful insect, it is enough to simply preserve thickets of burdock and nettle for it, and also be patient with the unattractive appearance of its caterpillars, without depriving them of their lives.
Pear peacock eye
Pear peacock eyes are widespread throughout the globe. In Russia, it can most often be found in the Krasnodar Territory and the Caucasus. This type of butterfly is nocturnal and very large in size. Their wingspan sometimes reaches 155 mm. It is also noteworthy that the size of the upper wing of some individuals reaches up to 70 mm. The females of these butterflies are usually larger in size than the males. Their abdomen is much thicker than that of males. Their color practically does not differ in any way; usually their wings are painted in gray tones with a light gray border around them. Round spots and blurry lines are visible on the wings.
Large harpy or spotted forktail (Cerura vinula)
Both the caterpillar and the harpy butterfly itself have a rather terrifying appearance. The growth in the form of a mustache confuses the birds, and they do not risk feasting on this completely edible larva.
The white moth from the Corydalis family is quite large and emits an unpleasant odor, so few people would dare try it.
Owl Caligo - Night Fairy
This spectacular beauty loves to walk at night, so she has ultrasonic hearing and even a voice. Its color is very interesting and beautiful, and its small scales are very pronounced. This is why large insect wings are often compared to snake skin.
Our night guest has a big sweet tooth, she loves sweet and overripe fruits, honey and sweet flower nectar. And you can meet this fluttering beauty in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
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Golden Birdwing - Talisman for prosperity
The Asian miracle butterfly is very popular in its country, as it is considered a talisman that brings material well-being. The butterfly got its interesting name due to the large size and color of its wings.
The color itself consists of two colors: the upper wings of the butterfly are black, and the lower wings are golden or, more accurately, yellow. The unsurpassed combination of colors makes this butterfly one of the most beautiful on our planet.
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Migratory birds
Many people compare butterflies to small, fragile birds that soar in the sky. In the case of Danaids - insects from North America - this is not so far from the truth. They may not lay eggs in their nests, but, like migratory birds, they prefer to fly away from their usual places for the winter.
During the flight, they are able to cover vast territories: in 125 days they fly 3 thousand km. They prefer to winter in California, Florida or Mexico, where it is quite warm in winter. Unable to be stopped by bad weather or strong winds, these small planes continue on their way to their intended target until they reach it.
Surprisingly, during their long journey they practically do not eat, but use the reserves that they accumulated in their bodies at the caterpillar stage. Therefore, by the end of the grandiose flight, the Danaids lose a third of their mass and become very light and thin. After arriving, they find a tree on which they spend the winter every year, stick their bodies around its crown and fall into torpor until spring. This picture looks unforgettable.
After being prompted, they set off on the return journey, halfway through which they lay their eggs and the entire generation dies. The journey is completed only by their children, who will repeat the great journey again next fall.
Danaids are included in the top 10 for their ability to fly long distances and for their amazing endurance.
Moth (Acharia Stimulea)
The caterpillars are green-white-brown in color, and are painted so that it looks like they are wearing a saddle and blanket or blanket. The caterpillars have a pair of fleshy horns topped with hairs that secrete an irritating poison.
Butterfly of the slug family.
Saturnia Io (Automeris io)
Incredible bright green caterpillar with pompoms. Distributed in Canada and the USA. Very poisonous. The Indians used it to lubricate their arrows.
The colorful moth is also quite impressive, especially at night when those “eyes” glow.
Oleander Hawkmoth - Caucasian pride
This type of moth can be considered the most aesthetically beautiful and unusual. You can safely call them a masterpiece of natural art, because if you look closer at them, you get the impression that the butterfly’s wings were painted by a talented artist.
Those who visit the mountainous Caucasus, its habitat, will be lucky enough to see this butterfly.
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Greta Oto
This insect occupies a special place in the list of the most beautiful butterflies. If we look closely at the photographs, we will see that she has transparent wings. That is why the second name of this beauty is Glass Butterfly.
The “glass” scaly wings are edged with a red rim.
Greta Oto is a native of Mexico and Argentina. During its short life, it manages to pollinate a large number of plants. Its wingspan is small, only 5 cm. Despite its compactness, this insect can travel about 12 km per day.
Greta Oto is a complicated butterfly. To escape from wild animals, she is forced to consume large quantities of poisonous leaves every day. Insectivores sense that the lepidopteran insect's body is inedible and pass by.
Butterflies are a magical creation of nature. They remind us of the beauty of the world and the transience of life.
Ornithoptera goliath
Ornithoptera goliath: male above, female below
Ornithoptera goliath, or birdwing goliath (lat. Ornithoptera goliath), measures up to 20-22 centimeters and lives on the islands of Southeast Asia. Due to their island distribution, several subspecies are distinguished among them, which differ in nuances of color.
Slug worm (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri)
This gorgeous caterpillar looks like an ornate ice crystal covered with numerous needles. The sight of it seems completely unappetizing to the birds!
And the adult butterfly is an ordinary night woodlice. Distributed throughout North America.
Spotted Apatelodes
This simply adorable furry caterpillar is extremely poisonous. By the way, her head is where there is one “feather”!
The spotted apatelodes moth is very large and buzzes loudly when it flies.
