Day butterfly, family Nymphalidae. In science, this beautiful butterfly is called Vanessa atalanta. The Admiral butterfly has velvety black wings (span 5-6 cm). Many insects are similar to each other. The admiral butterfly resembles a hives, but they look more refined and brighter. Its calling card is the characteristic orange ribbons on its wings, thanks to which the insect received its unusual name.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Hives
The wren (Aglais urticae, Nymphalis urticae) belongs to the Holarctic genus of day butterflies Aglais, originating from the family Nymphalidae. The specific epithet urticae comes from the word nettle, and Aglais is the ancient Greek goddess of grace Aglaia. Depending on their habitat, there are several subspecies of urticaria:
- Aglais urticae var. chinensis;
- Aglais urticae var. connexa;
- Aglais urticae var. baicalensis;
- Aglais urticae var. urticae;
- Aglais urticae var. polaris;
- Aglais urticae var. kansuensis;
- Aglais urticae var. excimia;
- Aglais urticae var. stoetzneri;
- Aglais urticae var. turcica.
The insect's closest relative is the spotted wren. Externally they are absolutely identical. Their only difference is a large discal spot. It is located on the front wings and is connected to the veins. This species is not so numerous and is less common.
Interesting fact: The Scots called this subspecies “devils”; in Japan, on the contrary, hives are considered a symbol of an innocent young soul and immortality. The ancient Romans believed that these were not insects, but bouquets of flowers torn by a gust of wind, personifying love, success, beauty, and prosperity.
Butterfly behavior can predict the weather. If the flight is intermittent and restless, it means it will start raining soon. Chocolate girls sense a change in humidity levels in the near future and try to quickly find a cozy place to hide and wait out the bad weather.
Etymology of the name
The admiral day butterfly was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 from specimens collected in Sweden. The name of the species is given by the name of the heroine of the ancient Greek myth. Atalanta was the daughter of King Jasius of Arcadia and Clymene. From the ancient Greek language this name is translated as “unshakable.” The father wanted to have only sons and therefore ordered his daughter to be left on Mount Parthenius immediately after birth. The girl was nursed by a bear and later found by hunters in the forest. Atalanta became famous after she and her lover Meleager took part in the hunt for the Calydonian boar.
The Russian name for the butterfly has nothing to do with the military rank of “admiral”. The insect is so called for the bright colors of its wings and comes from the English word “admirable”, which translates as “wonderful”.
The English name of the insect, red admiral, translates as “red admiral.”
Photo credit: Toni Wöhrl, CC BY-SA 4.0
Appearance and features
Photo: Butterfly hives
The chocolate butterfly is a medium-sized insect. The wings of butterflies are dark orange, brick red. Their length is 20-25 mm, span - 40-60 mm. On the forewings there are three black spots alternating with yellow. There are large dark spots on the front wings, the top is light. There are small spots on the back ones. Females are practically no different from males.
Interesting fact: The wings of chocolate makers are very delicate and fragile. If a moth suddenly flies into a room, people try to help the insect and release it outside. In most cases, such actions damage the wings of the butterfly and it cannot fly normally.
Each of the wings has a sharp protrusion, the edges are wavy. At the base of the hind wings there are brown scales on a brown background, followed by a bright orange stripe. Along the outer edge of the wings on a black background there is a pattern of light blue crescent-shaped spots.
The inside is brown with light spots. Each individual has a unique pattern, like human fingerprints. In winter, when hibernating, butterflies fold their wings and look like a dry gray leaf. The abdomen and chest are dark brown with brown hairs. The antennae of the moth are club-shaped.
Chocolate girls have three pairs of legs located on the chest. The family has a characteristic distinctive feature - the front legs are so short that they do not participate in the process of walking. They don't have claws. They serve for a soft landing. Chocolate girls move on their middle and hind legs.
The hives butterfly caterpillar is black with a yellow stripe on top. There are small green spines with bristles all over the body. In the pupal stage, the moth is wrapped in a cocoon, on top of which there are horns, which some people associate with a devil.
So we figured out what a hives butterfly looks like. Now let's find out where the hives butterfly lives.
Classification
Admiral is the type species of the genus Vanessa. It is divided into two geographically isolated subspecies. Data on intraspecific taxonomy are provided by Field and Markku Savela on the website. (checked 10/06/2019).
Below is information about the admiral varieties.
- Vanessa atalanta atalanta ( Linnaeus , 1758)
Found in Eurasia and North Africa. The Eurasian subspecies has a narrower white band at the top of the forewings and smaller black spots on the orange band on the hindwings.
- Vanessa atalanta rubria (Fruhstorfer, 1909)
Lives in North America. This subspecies shows slight variations in color throughout the year. Butterflies of the summer generation are somewhat darker and larger than spring individuals, and the stripe on the forewing is narrower and more reddish in color.
Photo credit: Emmanuel Boutet, CC BY-SA 3.0
Where does the hives butterfly live?
Photo: Shokoladnitsa
These insects, along with the cabbage white and peacock's eye, are one of the most common species living in Europe. The range extends to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Chocolate girls can be found in China, Japan, Asia Minor and Central Asia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Siberia, Korea, and in the countries of the former CIS.
You can see urticaria, like its brothers, in parks, squares, meadows and fields, gardens, forest edges and other flowering areas. Moths prefer quiet and peaceful places to noisy cities. They don't like bad weather. If you feel the approach of a strong wind or rain, chocolate butterflies look for where to hide - in tree hollows, basements, attics of private houses, verandas.
You can also meet chocolate makers high in the mountains. In the Alps, this species was found at an altitude of 3 thousand meters, and in the Himalayas - 5 thousand meters above sea level. At the pupal stage, cocoons can be seen everywhere: on tree branches, leaves and stems of flowers, on fences and gates, and benches.
Butterflies do not fly away for the winter, but hide from cold weather and frosts under the bark of trees, in the basements of houses, caves, and sometimes on balconies. Urban individuals choose places closer to human houses, so that in case of bad weather it is easier to find shelter.
Lifestyle
Urticaria butterflies are truly ubiquitous, and due to this they easily adapt to different living conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to derive any general pattern of their behavior, but something can still be noted.
Habitats
Urticaria is common throughout Europe and Asia, except perhaps the Far North. They are found in the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Yakutia and Kamchatka. They were found even in the Alps and Himalayas, at an altitude of over 5000 m.
Photo: premier-agro.ru
Diet
Urticaria butterflies feed mainly on flower nectar, which they suck out with a long proboscis. They also like thistle, dandelion, blackberry and marjoram. They love falling and even rotten fruits. And the caterpillars actively feed on different types of nettles, including stinging and stinging nettles.
Photo: krasivosti.pro
Humidity
Humidity is very important for hives. When drought occurs, the number of butterflies decreases significantly. In addition, this affects the future generation, because the lack of nutrients in the leaves leads to the caterpillars developing slowly and poorly.
Photo: pixabay.com
Wintering
Hives do not fly away and overwinter under bark, in hollows, basements, caves and other shelters. They fold their wings and in this form look like a dried leaf. To survive hibernation, butterflies actively feed and accumulate fat in the fall. They are not afraid of frost and can freeze completely at -20, but in the spring they will thaw and wake up.
Photo: kleo.ru
What does the hives butterfly eat?
Photo: Chocolate Butterfly
Thanks to their long black proboscis, moths obtain food in the form of nectar from plant inflorescences. At the caterpillar stage, chocolatiers are very fond of eating nettle leaves, which served as the main criterion in choosing the name for the butterfly. Also, insects are not averse to eating:
- Dandelion;
- Blackberries;
- Marjoram;
- Thistle;
- Primrose;
- Elecampane.
Imago (adults) are not as picky eaters as caterpillars. The choice of the latter comes down to using:
- Stinging nettle and stinging nettle;
- Hops;
- Hemp.
The newly hatched caterpillars weave together a common web and eat young leaves. When one plant runs out of greenery, the young growth moves to the next one. As soon as a butterfly is born from a pupa, it immediately goes in search of flowers.
Interesting fact: Moths are not averse to drinking fermented birch sap.
At the end of summer, lepidoptera begin to feed especially actively. To maintain the vital activity of a small insect during the cold season, the body of hives needs to stock up on lipids. Flower juice helps them a lot with this.
While butterflies are looking for nectar, they fly from one plant to another, pollinating them. Their wings contain delicate pollen, which they carry to flowers. Thanks to this, they take second place in the ranking of pollinating insects. Only bees are ahead of them.
Sometimes during the February thaws, moths wake up from hibernation ahead of time and fly into houses or apartments. Until spring, the insect can be kept at home, feeding it with a solution of sugar or honey. To do this, moisten a cotton swab with syrup and place it on a saucer. 10-15 minutes of feeding per day is sufficient for hives.
Keeping at home
Fauna lovers keep various insects as pets, including butterflies.
It is better to take Lepidoptera when they are caterpillars. The insect is placed in an aquarium or plastic container filled with food plants. The top of the container is covered with a mesh to provide air access. Food is replaced every day. The leaves are periodically sprinkled with water. During the pupation period, the humidity in the container should be 80-09%. For young adults, it is necessary to provide a place for spreading their wings. A vertical branch will do. How long does the admiral butterfly live at home? Don't expect the insect to stay in your home for a long time. The life of a moth is short; even in safe conditions it will live no more than 3-4 weeks. The pet will need a certain temperature and humidity, as well as food.
The diet of domestic butterflies includes a solution of honey and fruit juice. Preparing the syrup is quite simple - dilute a teaspoon of honey in 6 portions of water. You can offer the insect juicy cut fruits (banana, plum, peach). It is enough for the butterfly to touch the honey solution with its paw to identify it as food.
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Hives
The wren butterfly is one of the first spring butterflies. Summer begins with the appearance of the first rays of the sun. During the day they are busy pollinating flowers and searching for food; at night they hide in shelters. Up to two generations are replaced per year, depending on the climate. You can see the insect until September.
Chocolate makers are very dependent on weather conditions. During drought, their numbers decrease significantly. The lack of precipitation directly depends on the availability of water, nitrogen and nutrient minerals in the leaves of plants. Lack of substances weakens the caterpillars and slows down their development.
Interesting fact: Chocolate girls can distinguish colors, unlike other insects. This helps to find the necessary objects.
In favorable conditions, the species can exist for up to 9 months. Compared to other moths, which can expect to live only a few days, wrens are truly long-lived. With the onset of cold weather, they do not freeze, but hibernate, like bears.
Lepidoptera do not fly away anywhere, but remain to winter in their native lands. At temperatures of 21 degrees below zero and below, butterflies freeze through, but do not die. Their metabolism slows down and energy is used sparingly. With the first rays of the sun they thaw and come to life. After wintering, they lay eggs and soon die.
Krushinnitsa (limongrass)
Buckthorn or Lemongrass (Gonepteryx rhamni) is not a pest, despite its similarity to cabbage butterflies. The male is lemon-yellow, the female is greenish-white, the wingspan is up to 6 cm. Distributed very widely: from North Africa and Western Europe through Asia Minor to the eastern part of the Palaearctic.
Butterfly Butterfly, or Lemongrass (Gonepteryx rhamni)
It overwinters at the butterfly stage and is one of the first to appear in late April-early May. Lays eggs on buckthorn. The caterpillar is green, with a flattened body shape. An interesting feeding feature is that the caterpillar eats the leaf from the center.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Butterfly hives
Having awakened from hibernation, refreshed and gathered strength, insects begin to reproduce. In the morning, males look for food, bask in the sun, and then begin searching for a female in the afternoon. There are practically no clashes over territory.
The male flies up to the female from behind and emits a specific buzz. The next few hours will be spent in mating games. Most often, the mating process occurs in nettles. After fertilization, the female lays her future offspring on the inside of the plant.
There can be from 100 to 200 green or yellow oval eggs. Laying time is up to one and a half hours. Under favorable conditions, embryos develop within a week. Baby caterpillars stay together in one brood, and do not spread throughout the plant.
The small caterpillars are born only 1.2 mm long. At first they are green in color, with spots and black hairs. While growing up, they molt 4 times. The body of adult caterpillars is black with yellow stripes. Having shed for the last time, the individuals crawl around the bush.
They look for a place to pupate and attach vertically to a stem or leaf, forming a golden-red pupa approximately 2 cm in size. It remains in this state for about 2 weeks. After this period, the shell breaks and a butterfly is born. She needs to sit still for a few minutes so that her wings get stronger and she can fly away.
Apollo
Apollo (Parnassius apollo) is an insect that was named after the leader of the muses of the ancient Greek god Apollo, who personifies male beauty. A very beautiful butterfly, it is extremely rare and is under strict protection. A large white butterfly with black and red spots on its wings, the span of which reaches nine centimeters.
Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo)
The distribution area is huge - from the Pyrenees through the Alps, Carpathians, Caucasus to Altai. In total there are about 600 forms of this rare species. They fly slowly, tend to glide, and are not shy.
The caterpillar is velvety black, the length of an adult caterpillar is up to 5 cm. The food plant is various types of sedum. It feeds only in sunny weather and hides the rest of the time. Pupates on the ground.
Natural enemies of the hives butterfly
Photo: Shokoladnitsa
Like all insects, this species of butterfly has many natural enemies. Among them are amphibians in the form of frogs; reptiles – steppe vipers, lizards, snakes; birds - marsh harrier and many others; small rodents.
To protect themselves from enemies, chocolate makers have protective coloring on the inside of their wings. When they fold their wings, the camouflage color from the outside resembles a dry leaf. But often it does not save the butterflies, and the birds, having declassified their camouflage, eat them, sometimes up to half of the wintering ones.
There is also a chance of being attacked by parasites. Hymenoptera insects, such as flies, can lay eggs on plant leaves, which are then eaten by caterpillars. The larvae will grow in the caterpillars' bodies and eat the organs from the inside. After a painful death, up to 100 riders can crawl out of the body of the future butterfly.
It can be difficult to catch chocolate, so individuals at the egg, pupa or caterpillar stage are most vulnerable. Birds constantly feed their chicks hundreds of caterpillars a day. Birds account for about 20% of the caterpillars eaten. Birds grab feeding or resting moths, rub them against a tree so that the wings fall off, and eat only the body.
Caterpillars can become prey for beetles, dragonflies, mantises, etc. Spiders can catch butterflies in their webs or lie in wait in flowers. Humans play an important role. Due to the destruction of landscapes, chocolate makers are losing their habitats. When harmful insects are destroyed, many butterflies die from poisoning.
Story
A rich palette of colors and intricate patterns on the wings distinguish butterflies from other insects. It is no wonder that these sublime creatures are given the names of heroes of ancient myths. The admiral butterfly is named after Vanessa Atalanta (from the Latin: vanessa atalanta). Carl Linnaeus chose for the new species the name of the daughter of the hero Scheneus, who dreamed of a son. In Ancient Greece, it was believed that an upset father got rid of Vanessa by throwing her off a mountain. A beautiful girl spent her life in the forest. See what types of butterflies exist.
There are two known versions of the origin of the name Admiral. According to the first, the name comes from a Turkish word that translates as “lord of the seas.” Although the butterfly prefers to live in meadows, it easily goes on long journeys and flies across bodies of water.
The second version is marine - the insect was so called because of its color. Red stripes on a dark background are reminiscent of admiral's ribbons - the kind that fleet commanders had.
Poplar ribbon grass
The poplar ribbon moth (Limenitis populi) is often found on forest roads and forest edges; these butterflies often land on manure and love overripe fruits. The top of the wings is black, along their outer edge there are red holes. The underside of the wings is red with blue spots. Their span is up to eight centimeters. Greenish-black caterpillars feed on aspen trees. This butterfly also needs protection.
Poplar ribbon butterfly (Limenitis populi)
