Large green caterpillar with yellow spots. Types of caterpillars - description, features and interesting facts. Unfortunately, the method has disadvantages.

Butterfly larvae - caterpillars - are distinguished by a variety of shapes and colors. And anyone who does not feel disgust for caterpillars can enjoy watching these amazing creatures and perhaps learn something new for yourself. This is especially true for pupation, because it's one thing to just know about life cycle insects, and the other is to see firsthand the process of transformation of one creature into another.

hawks

hawks (Sphingidae) - a family of butterflies of large or medium size. The body is powerful, often conically pointed; wings - narrow elongated span from 30 to 175 mm.

For some unknown reason, with an aunt of filing, most of his life he called hawks Bobk A mi. What the beans such - it is not clear, except for the aunt, this word has not been heard from anyone, and Yandex only finds a story of the same name by Dostoevsky for such a request.

Caterpillars are large, beautiful, usually brightly colored with contrasting stripes and false eyes. On the tail they have a characteristic horn.

The pupae of most hawks also have horns.

Next, we will talk about the history of pupation of two caterpillars found simultaneously in our area and identified as larvae. hawks: wine And fake. Actually, it was not difficult to determine them, since it is known that hawk hawk caterpillars are very picky and selective towards their food plants, therefore, if a caterpillar is found on grapes, then it can be argued with a high probability that wine hawk hawk should come out of it.

So, the first story, happy ...

Wine hawk (Deilephila elpenor)

The caterpillar was found eating grape leaves. She was fat, resilient and green, with a horn and four false eyes in the front.

She behaved actively, in captivity she did not refuse food. I also didn't mind taking pictures in different poses. Click on the pictures - they have a lot of details!

But a couple of days later, it disappeared. Gently turning over the leaves piled on the bottom of the aquarium, I discovered a certain conglomerate: the leaves were clearly glued together. In the depths of the shelter, the strangely altered body of a caterpillar, covered with mucus, lay motionless.

After a day or two, I decided to see what happened in the house of leaves. As soon as I started to rake them, I felt something vigorously twitch inside. The leaves were glued together well, but what could one poor caterpillar oppose to the destructive power of the human mind?

For no one, I think, the fact that the leaves were hiding chrysalis.

The anterior part of the pupa is completely rigid, the posterior part consists of three movably connected segments and ends with a horn. When the chrysalis is nervous, it can beat intensely, frightening the offender and jumping from place to place:

Here's what struck me the most. Next to the pupa in the leaves lay the blackened and withered head and the front part of the body of the former caterpillar with six horny legs. I never thought about the fact that when turning into a chrysalis, the caterpillar discards head!(“What does she think about ???” - an idiotic question arises, from which, however, another follows: “Do caterpillars think in principle?”)

The idea for the demotivator is born by itself: “Don't be a larva! Don't lose your head!"

Now it remains only to put the chrysalis in a secluded cool place, and perhaps in the spring I will be able to observe the most exciting stage of transformation: the birth of a butterfly.

Added after 6 months: it was possible to observe the birth of a butterfly, however, a little earlier than expected. Details and photos - by clicking on the picture:

Medium wine hawk - the one that hatched from me six months later.

And now the second story, tragic ...

Lime hawkweed (Mimas tiliae)

This caterpillar was caught on a linden, and when caught it was about the same green color as our previous hero. However, by the time of the photo shoot, she noticeably changed color to green-yellow. If I had read about this caterpillar earlier, I would have understood that it was already about to pupate - in the lime hawk hawk, this is preceded by a change in color.

If the caterpillar were immediately planted in the leaves and not touched again, then, perhaps, I would now still have a chrysalis of lime hawk hawk. But I did not allow the poor creature to calmly fulfill my biological program. While transplanting, while photographing ...

Sometimes in the summer on the meadow paths, or even in the city, you can meet slowly crawling large caterpillars. Someone will say “fu, what a disgusting thing!”, And someone, on the contrary, will pick it up with interest. The caterpillar, of course, does not like this, it begins to squirm and curl up into a ring, because it has eaten for several weeks and is now looking for a secluded place to pupate. The caterpillar shown in the photo wine hawk hawk (lat. Deilephila elpenor) light brown, with a greenish tint; on the sides of the front of the body, not far from the head, it has dark spots with a white border on top and a small horn on the tail. If the caterpillar is frightened, it retracts its head, inflates segments with eye patterns, which makes them look like a snake's head with eyes, which should scare away uninvited predators. This caterpillar feeds on fireweed, better known to us as Ivan-tea, bedstraw and grape leaves (for which it got its name). After pupation, next year it will hatch from a wine hawk hawk moth, a rather large twilight moth, which is very similar to a hummingbird in its flight and feeding habits. Even in English it is called elephant hawk moth, which can be roughly translated as "elephant moth".

Wine hawk(lat. Deilephila elpenor) - a butterfly from the family hawks (Sphingidae). Wingspan 50-70 mm. The color of the front wings and body is olive-pink with transverse oblique pink bands on the front wings. The hindwings are black at the base. Widely distributed in the Palaearctic. Flight time - from mid-May to mid-August, one, in some places - two generations. Caterpillar stage - from mid-June to August. The color of the caterpillar varies from light green to brown and almost black, on the 4th and 5th rings there are "eyes" with a dark core and a white border. The horn is short, black-brown. Forage plants of caterpillars are fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium and E. hirsutum) and fireweed (Chamerion); less often bedstraw, touchy, grapes. Pupation on soil, pupa hibernates.

Below is a photo (not mine) of what an imago (adult moth) looks like:

Photo by jean pierre Hamon, Wikipedia

The wine hawk belongs to the genus Deilephila. These are large and medium butterflies with a wingspan of 40-80 mm. The wine hawk moth is an olive butterfly with a pink pattern. The base of the hind wings is black. Wingspan 50-70 mm. The head, thorax and abdomen of a moth are olive green. Pinkish stripes on the back near the abdomen merge into one longitudinal line. Antennae thickened, grayish-pink. The eyes are large, complex, covered with scales. Insects have excellent eyesight, they see objects in low light. Insects are common in Europe, including the south of the Urals. Found in Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, India, Korea, Japan and China. It lives in gardens, on the edge of the forest, roadsides. Settles on honeysuckle bushes, flowers of petunias, iris. Moths living in gardens and parks pollinate 5-10% of the nearest trees and shrubs.

The caterpillar of the wine hawk hawk may be green or dark brown, almost black in color. On the 4th-5th segment of the body there are round black eyes with a white border. The tail horn is short, black at the base, the tip is white. Due to the large size of 70-80 mm, the caterpillars make a frightening impression on people. In fact, they are not dangerous. Even plants, the larvae do not cause serious harm.

The caterpillar of the wine hawk moth, in case of danger, is able to inflate a segment of the body with eyes. She pulls her head inward, assumes the pose of a sphinx, lifting her front legs off the surface. It makes her look like a snake. Given the impressive size of the body, enemies such as birds prefer not to fight.

Butterfly summer time is from May to August. They are active in the evening until midnight. Moths feed on flowers and mate. Depending on the region of habitat, they give from one to five generations. For plants that open buds at close times, they are excellent pollinators. IN mating season they often fly towards light sources.

Hawk hawks are excellent flyers, during migration they cover thousands of kilometers. Butterflies are able to hover in one place, feeding on the nectar of flowers, move vertically up and down.

The fertilized female lays single or paired round eggs on the leaves and stems of fodder plants. Green masonry with a glossy surface. The embryo develops in 7-10 days. Young larvae are yellow or light green in color. As they mature, most become grey-brown with black streaks. This stage lasts about a month.

The caterpillar of the wine hawk moth can be beneficial and harmful. It depends on her diet. The larva that settled on the weeds helps to get rid of the grass without weeding. The insect does not harm agriculture. The fodder plants of hawkweed are flowers and ovary of fireweed (willow-herb), bedstraw, and touchy. IN rare cases feeds on grape leaves.

Having reached the fifth instar, the larva descends to the ground and prepares for pupation. She chooses a place at the foot of the plant on which she ate, and forms a cocoon. The pupa is brown, 40-45 mm long. Overwinter in litter or upper layers soil.

Hawk moths fly at speeds up to 50 km/h. The wind interferes with them in flight and while feeding on flowers. With a wind strength of 3 m/s, insects do not fly out to feed.

The medium wine hawk is listed in the Red Book of Karelia and the Belgorod region as a rare species.

The wine hawk moth received the Latin name Deilephila elpenor in honor of the hero of mythology: Elpenor is a friend of Odysseus, returning with him from Troy; died falling from the roof of the palace of the sorceress Circe.

There is an assumption that these spots on the caterpillars of wine hawks imitate the "glasses" of a cobra. However, it is unlikely that birds can confuse a small caterpillar with a snake, especially since wine hawks are widespread even where cobras are not found. A simple experience has shown that birds are very willing to eat ocellar caterpillars. There is no definite answer to the question about the reason for this coloration. The horn of the caterpillar of the middle wine hawk is weakly expressed.

The hawk hawk family (Sphingidae) is one of the fastest flyers not only among butterflies, but also among insects in general. Some develop speeds up to 60 km / h! Narrow and long front wings, streamlined, aerodynamic body make their flight swift and maneuverable. It was they, like some birds, who became the prototype for the creation of jet aircraft, thanks to observant designers. Hawk hawks make 37 to 85 wing beats per second, while the swallowtail, for example, makes only 5-6 beats.

The wine hawk moth can be brought out of the chrysalis at home on its own, but for this, after pupation, it must be stored in the refrigerator for some time, otherwise the adult insect will hatch somewhere around the new year, when it will have nothing to eat. Detailed information about their breeding -

Structure

	head breast abdomen body segment ventral (false) legs spiracle (stigma) pectoral (true) legs mandibles
The general structure of the caterpillar body, for example macroglossum stellatarum.		Caterpillar body structure

Head

The head is formed by a dense capsule fused from six segments. Often conditionally allocate areas of the head, occupying a relatively small area between the forehead and the eyes, called the cheeks. On the underside of the head is the foramen magnum, which in most cases is heart-shaped.

According to the position of the head relative to the body, it is customary to distinguish the following types:

• orthognathic- the longitudinal axis of the head is located more or less perpendicular to the axis of the body, the mouthparts are directed downwards. This type is characteristic of almost all large caterpillars that live openly on plants (lepidoptera, hawks, corydalis, cocoonworms, she-bears and others).
• prognathic,- the longitudinal axis of the head coincides with the axis of the body, the mouthparts are directed forward. This type of head arose as an adaptation to a mining lifestyle. It is typical for Eriocraniidae, Stigmellidae, Phyllocnistidae and a number of other families. Head of this type strongly flattened and characterized by the absence of a parietal suture. The general shape of the head is usually heart-shaped.
• semi-prognathic- occupies an intermediate position between the first two types, typical for secretive caterpillars.

caterpillar jaws

The typical head shape is rounded. Sometimes it can undergo changes - acquire a triangular (many hawk moths), rectangular ( Catocala) or heart-shaped. The frontal surface becomes flat or even depressed. The parietal apices can protrude significantly above the surface of the body, sometimes turning into large horns or outgrowths ( Apatura, Charaxes) .

The eyes are represented by separate ocelli located on the sides of the head. They lie close to the oral organs and in most cases are arranged in the form of an arcuate row of five simple ocelli and one standing inside this arc. In some cases, their primitiveness or, conversely, specialization is observed. So, the New Zealand caterpillar Sabatinca the eyes are composed of five simple ocelli that have merged to form a compound eye.

Antennae (antennae) short, three-membered. Located on the sides of the head, between the eyes and upper jaws in the so-called antennal cavity. In some cases, the antennae undergo reduction - there is a reduction in the number of segments.

The upper jaws, or mandibles, are always well developed, and are strongly sclerotized strong formations, varying greatly in shape. Gnawing type. The apical edge of the mandible usually bears teeth that serve to bite off or cut food. On the inner edge there are sometimes bumps that serve for chewing food. lower jaws(maxillae) and lower lip (labium) are fused, as in many other insects with complete metamorphosis, into a single labio-maxillary complex. Salivary glands modified into silk-separating ones.

Chest and abdomen

The body of the caterpillar, having extreme mobility, is enclosed in a soft membranous cover. The sclerotized areas are the tergites of the prothorax and the 10th abdominal segment. Each segment of the caterpillar can be divided into a number of secondary rings, separated by grooves, which do not differ in appearance from the actual boundaries of the segments.

The pronotum (prothoracic shield) very rarely occupies the entire tergite, and in most caterpillars a small sclerite is separated from it, located in front of the spiracle (stigma), called the prestigmal scutellum, on which setae IV, V, and VI sit. The mesoscutum and metanotum are never completely sclerotized, and their lateral parts are always divided into several separate sclerites. Tergites of abdominal segments always divided into several sclerites connected with primary setae and usually corresponding to their number.

The anal opening on the last segment is surrounded by 4 lobes. Not all of these lobes can be well developed at the same time. The upper one, the supranal lobe, hangs over the anus. The lower, subanal lobe is often represented as a thick conical fleshy lobe; a pair of lateral or anal lobes - paraprocts - are usually well developed in moths and corydalis in the form of rather large outgrowths with bristles at the end.

Almost all caterpillars belong to the group with one closed stigma (spiracle) on the chest. An exception is certain species that lead an aquatic lifestyle. Their stigmas are closed, and they are replaced by tracheal gills.

The chest bears only one open functioning stigma. The second reduced spiracle is located between the mesothorax and metathorax. The thoracic spiracle is usually larger than the abdominal ones. Abdomen on segments 1–8 bears eight pairs of stigmas located below the thoracic stigma and more or less in the middle of the segment or somewhat closer to its anterior margin. The stigma of the 8th segment is located above the other abdominals and is larger than them, while the stigma of the 1st segment, on the contrary, lies somewhat lower than the others. Stigmas can be round or oval in shape.

limbs

A caterpillar hanging on silk. Three pairs of thoracic and five pairs of ventral legs are clearly visible.

Most caterpillars have three pairs of thoracic legs (a pair on each of the thoracic segments) and five pairs of false ventral legs on abdominal segments III-VI and X. The ventral legs bear small hooks located in different groups Lepidoptera in different ways - in the form of a circle, longitudinal or transverse rows. The leg consists of five segments: coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus.

The thoracic legs of the caterpillars are to some extent reduced in comparison with the true walking legs, and the function of locomotion is carried out mainly by the ventral legs. At the end of the thoracic foot there is a claw fixedly articulated with it, which can have different lengths and shapes. The final part of the ventral leg is the sole, which can retract and protrude and bears claws at its distal end.

There are two types of sole structure:

In different groups of butterflies, deviations from the described variant of the arrangement of the legs are described. The best known are the moth caterpillars, most of which have only two pairs of ventral legs (on segments VI and X). As a result, moth caterpillars move as if "walking". Russian name like the German (German) Spannern) comes from the similarity of the movement of the caterpillar with the movements of the hand of a person measuring the length with a span. The Latin name for the moth family is Geometridae(from the Latinized Greek "surveyor") is also given to them in connection with this feature. It is less known that the ventral legs can be reduced on segments III and IV of the abdomen in caterpillars of some cutworms ( Noctuidae).

Hypsipyla grandela Dangerous pest from Brazil

In some caterpillars, more than five pairs of ventral legs have been described. In toothed moths ( Micropterigidae) - eight, megalopygid ( Megalopygidae) - seven (from II to VII and on the X segment), one of the genera of pygmy miner moths ( Stigmella from the family Nepticulidae) - six (from II to VII segments) pairs.

In addition, the legs (both ventral and pectoral) can be completely reduced in small mining Lepidoptera.

Integuments of the body and their appendages

The body of the caterpillar is almost never completely naked, it is covered with a variety of formations that can be divided into cuticular outgrowths, hairs and outgrowths of the body.

Cuticular outgrowths are sculptural elements and small outgrowths of the cuticle: spines, granules, stellate formations, which may look like small hairs - chaetoids.

Hairs, bristles and their derivatives differ from sculptural elements in their articulation with the cuticle and development due to special cells of the hypodermis. The base of the hair is surrounded by an annular ridge, or the hair is in a depression. Conventionally, hairs are divided into hairs proper and bristles, the latter being stronger. The hairs are very different in shape. In most cases, they are represented by filiform or setiform formations.

Outgrowths of the skin of the body - formations consisting of protrusions of the skin and having a cavity inside that communicates with the body cavity. These include tubercles - various formations associated with primary setae. Wart - a protrusion covered with a tuft of bristles or hair; warts are spherical or, conversely, flattened and oval, often very large, for example, in Lymantriidae. The characteristic outgrowths are spines.

In rare cases, aquatic caterpillars develop tracheal gills on their bodies. Usually they are present on all segments of the body (except for the prothorax and the 10th segment of the abdomen) in the form of bundles of delicate filaments with tracheae entering them. The stigmas in these cases are closed.

The soft cuticle of caterpillars is folded and does not fit tightly to the body, so they can grow between molts, but only until the cuticle folds stretch and the body of the caterpillar does not fill the entire volume of the external skeleton.

Physiology

Nutrition

Most caterpillars are phytophages - they feed on leaves, flowers and fruits of plants. Some species feed on lichens or fungi. A number of species - keratophages - feed on wax, wool, horny substances (caterpillars of moths of the genus Ceratophaga live in the horns of African antelopes, feeding on keratin). Few species are xylophagous - glassworms and wood borers. Caterpillars of some species are predators, feeding on aphids, mealybugs, ant larvae and pupae. Caterpillars of some species are characterized by oligophagy - feeding on a very limited number of plant species. For example, polyxena caterpillars feed only on four plant species of the genus kirkazon, and caterpillars feed exclusively on mulberry leaves. In addition, the caterpillar eats the shell of its egg immediately after hatching, and then other eggs that it stumbles upon.

The digestive tract connects with the rest of the body only at the anterior and posterior ends, due to which, probably, the movement of the rest of the body does not prevent the caterpillars from digesting food.

In the digestive tract of caterpillars, three main groups of digestive enzymes are distinguished - proteases, carbohydrases and lipases.

Silk formation

Spinning apparatus

The spinning apparatus consists of a spinning papilla and a sclerite bearing it. The spinning papilla is a tube, the upper wall of which is usually shorter than the lower one, the end edge is uneven. The edges of the spinneret papilla are sometimes fringed. The silk excretory duct, passing through the spinning papilla, opens at its distal end. In very rare cases, such as Microplerygidae and some miners, the spinneret papilla is apparently absent.

The spinneret papilla is extremely variable in shape and length among representatives of different groups. There is a close relationship between the structure of the spinneret papilla and the silk-releasing activity of caterpillars. Caterpillars braiding their moves, for example Hepialidae and most Microfrenata, have a long, thin and cylindrical spinneret papilla. On the contrary, a short and flattened spinneret papilla is found only in caterpillars that do not weave cocoons or whose silk-secreting activity is limited, for example, in hawks, many cutworms and miners.

Some features are observed in the development of the silk glands of caterpillars. In the last 4 days of the caterpillar's life, when it is still feeding, the gland develops very rapidly and reaches its maximum weight in a short time. A day after the start of weaving the cocoon, the weight of the gland sharply decreases, and then continues to decrease further, until the end of the weaving of the cocoon by the caterpillar. Cells that produce silk synthesize it, apparently due to the accumulated substances. In the oak silkworm, cocoon weaving depends on the humidity of the surrounding air - so in the atmosphere with high humidity, caterpillars do not weave a cocoon.

The chemical composition and structure of silk

• caterpillars leading a free lifestyle, openly feeding on fodder plants;
• caterpillars leading a hidden lifestyle.

Baggage Caterpillar Cover ( Psychidae), attached by silk to a leaf of cereal before pupation.

Caterpillars of diurnal, or mace, butterflies, as well as most other large Lepidoptera, live openly on fodder plants. Caterpillars of many families of moth-like Lepidoptera lead a secretive lifestyle: in the soil, bedding or turf of cereals (often in silk tunnels); inside fodder plants, mining leaves, shoots and fruits; making a variety of covers that the caterpillar, crawling, drags along with it (the most famous for these bagworms ( Psychidae), but wearing caps is much more widespread). Caterpillars of very few species live in water, feeding on aquatic plants.

All caterpillars can secrete silk. Most use it to attach to the substrate when moving. A caterpillar crawling on a plant or on the soil constantly leaves behind a thin silk path. If it falls from a branch, it will remain hanging on a silk thread. Caterpillars of some families of moths and moths build tunnels from silk (silk passages). Everyone who saw the damage caused by the caterpillars of real moths to fur or wool products noticed silk passages in the undercoat or on the surface of knitted items. Bagmakers and some others use silk thread as the basis for making a portable case. Caterpillars of ermine moths and some Corydalis build silken nests on fodder plants. In some families, for example, in cocoonworms, peacock-eye and real silkworms, the caterpillar builds a silk cocoon before molting to the chrysalis.

Ecology

Migrations

Pine walking silkworm caterpillars

Symbionts

In a number of species, caterpillars live in anthills, being in a symbiotic relationship with ants, for example, with the genus Myrmica .

Caterpillars of about half of all species of pigeons ( Lycaenidae) are somehow connected in the cycle of their development with ants.

Miner caterpillars Phyllonorycter blancardella live in symbiosis with bacteria that secrete cytokines, these hormones stimulate plant cell division, prolonging photosynthesis, and the resulting "green islands" allow the insect to survive the winter.

Gallery

Caterpillars in culture

In literature

To the cinema

• The caterpillar is the heroine of the Russian cartoon "Gagarin" (1994).
• Caterpillar ( blue caterpillar) is the heroine of the 1972 musical film "Alice in Wonderland" (original title "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland"), produced in the UK.
• The caterpillar is the heroine of the American cartoon The Adventures of Flick (1998).
• Caterpillar (Green caterpillar) - the heroine of the French cartoon minuscule (2006).

Economic importance

For humans, the species whose caterpillars produce silk are primarily useful. Silk in nature is formed by the caterpillars of many butterflies, constructing cocoons from it. The textile industry prefers ( bombyx mori), domesticated by man. Also in sericulture, Chinese oak peacock-eye ( Antheraea pernyi), which has been bred in China for over 250 years. Silk is obtained from its cocoons, which is used to make chesuchi. Other types of silkworms do not develop well in captivity, therefore they are limited only to collecting their cocoons in nature. plays an important economic role in silk production. To obtain a silk thread, the pupae are first killed with hot steam and water on the tenth day after pupation. A silk cocoon usually contains up to 3,500 meters of fiber, but it can only be unwound by a third. To get 1 kilogram of raw silk, you need cocoons of about a thousand caterpillars that eat 60 kilograms of leaves in a month and a half. About 9 kg of silk thread can be obtained from 100 kg of cocoons. Today, 45,000 tons of silk are produced annually around the world. The main suppliers are Japan , the Republic of Korea and China .

Dried caterpillars silkworm that are infected with a fungus Beauveria bassiana used in Chinese traditional medicine.

Caterpillars of some species can be used in weed control. Most a prime example- specially imported in 1925 to Australia from Uruguay and from the northern regions of Argentina cactus moth ( Cactoblastis cactorum) helped get rid of the introduced prickly pear cactus, which overgrown millions of hectares of pastures. In 1938, Australian farmers erected a special memorial to the caterpillars that saved Australia in the Darling Valley.

Notes

1. Big encyclopedic Dictionary"Biology". - ed. M. S. Gilyarova, M.: Bolshaya Russian encyclopedia, 1998. ISBN 5-85270-252-8
2. Fasmer M. Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language. - Progress. - M., 1964–1973. - T. 1. - S. 477.
3. Borys W. Slownik etymologiczny języka polskiego. - Wydawnictwo Literackie. - Kraków, 2005. - P. 158. - ISBN 978-83-08-04191-8
4. Gerasimov A. M. Caterpillars. - 2nd. - Moscow, Leningrad: Academy of Sciences Publishing House, 1952. - T. 1. - (Fauna of the USSR).
5. Akimushkin I. I. Six-legged arthropods // Animal World: Insects. Spiders. Pets. - 4th ed. - M .: Thought, 1995. - T. 3. - S. 13. - 462 p. - 15,000 copies. - ISBN 5-244-00806-4
6. Gerasimov A. M. Fauna of the USSR. Volume 56. Lepidoptera insects. Caterpillars. - M .: Edition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1952.
7. The movement of the caterpillar with the insides forward is open. membrana (July 23, 2010). Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
8. Physiology of insects R. Chauvin 1953
9. Key to freshwater invertebrates of Russia. T. 5. St. Petersburg. , 2001, p. 74-78.
10. Milius, Susan Hawaiian Caterpillars Are First Known Amphibious Insects. U.S. News & World Report (23 March 2010). Archived from the original on February 11, 2012.
11. Belokobylsky S. A., Tobias V. I. 2007. Sem. Braconidae - Braconids. 9. Subfamily. Alysiinae. A group of genera close to Aspilota // In the book: Key to Insects of the Russian Far East. Reticulate, Scorpion, Hymenoptera. - Vladivostok: Dalnauka. T. 4, part 5. S. 9-133.
12. Tobias V. I. (ed. and author or first author) Order Hymenoptera - Hymenoptera. Family Braconidae - Braconids. 1986. Key to insects in the European part of the USSR. T. 3. The fourth part. 500 s.; Fifth part: p. 1-231, 284-307, Sem. Aphidiidae - Aphidiids, c. 232-283, 308.

In the photo Winter Owl

Early violet-grey cutworm Orthosia incerta Hdn. (syn. Taeniocampa incerta Hfn.) - a butterfly with a wingspan of 35-37 mm. The forewings are purple-gray with a reddish-brown tint, the hindwings are yellowish-white, with gray pollen. On the forewings are two large blurry spots with white edges and a wavy whitish line.

In the photo, the caterpillar of the winter scoop

The caterpillar of the winter scoop is green, with a light pattern, has a white or yellow line on the back and light yellow on the sides.

The pupa is red-brown. Caterpillars feed during May - July on fruit and deciduous trees and shrubs.

See how the scoop caterpillars look in the photo, which shows the different stages of their development:

Control measures or how to get rid of scoop caterpillars, is described below, the most relevant means are proposed.

Collection and destruction of single caterpillars. Preventive annual spraying of plants before flowering against a complex of pests with drugs: Fufanon, Kemifos, Kinmiks, Aktellik, Iskra, Inta-Vir, also reduces the number of scoops.

In the photo, the Scoop is yellow-brown

Early yellow-brown cutworm Orthosia stabilis Schiff. (syn. Taeniocampaaa stabilis View) - a butterfly with a wingspan of 35 mm. The forewings are brownish-red with a yellow tint. There is a wavy whitish line and spots with light edges. A number of small black dots are visible near the transverse line. Hindwings are yellowish-gray, with a light fringe.

Unlike the scoop butterfly, the caterpillar does not have such an attractive appearance.

In the photo, the caterpillar of the Yellow-brown Scoop

It is green, with small yellowish dots and five yellowish longitudinal lines on the back.

The penultimate ring has a yellow cross line. The flight of butterflies is observed in April, after fertilization, the females lay their eggs on the buds and leaves of shrubs and trees. Feeding and development of caterpillars is observed in late May - June. Early yellow-brown scoop is common on apple, oak and many deciduous trees. It occurs constantly on strawberries due to the presence of green leaves on overwintered bushes.

Fighting methods with caterpillars of cutworms are the same as against violet-gray cutworms.

In the photo, the scoop is brown-gray

Early brown-gray cutworm Orthosia gothica L. (syn. Taeniocampa gothica L.) - a butterfly with a wingspan of 35-37 mm, the front wings are brown-gray with a light wavy stripe and thin white transverse lines. Between the kidney-shaped and black oblong spots there is a black space with annular spots, the hindwings are gray-brown.

In the photo, the caterpillar of the brown-gray Scoop

A caterpillar that gnaws a scoop is green, with a green head, three whitish-yellow lines pass on the back, there is a wide white stripe. Brown pupa. Caterpillars feed in April-May on fruit trees, shrubs and many herbaceous plants.

Control measures the same as against early violet-gray cutworm.

In the photo the Bluehead Owl

Blue-headed scoop, or blue-headed scoop Diloba coeruleocephala L. (syn. Episema coeruleocephala L..), - moth brownish-gray in color, with a wingspan of 40 mm. The fore wings are violet-gray, with a large yellowish-white spot, consisting of three small ones, the base of the wings is brownish, with a reddish spot. The same stain is present on inner corner wing. The hindwings are light grey, with an indistinct spot and a dark posterior angle. The fight against the caterpillar of the bluehead scoop should begin long before the departure of the butterflies.

In the photo, the caterpillar of the Bluehead Scoop

Caterpillar bluish white, 35-38 mm long, has yellowish lines on the back and sides and black tubercles along the body, covered with hairs. The pupa is red-brown in color, covered with bluish-gray pollen. Eggs hibernate on branches near the buds. In early spring, caterpillars hatch and feed on buds, leaves and fruits, roughly eating them. Gnawing remains on the damaged ovaries, which are later visible as brown, healed damage to the fruit. Having finished feeding, the caterpillars pupate in June in dense cobweb white cocoons in the crevices of the bark. In September - early October, butterflies fly out and, after fertilization, the females lay their eggs on branches. One generation of the pest develops per year.

Scoop damages all fruit crops, many berry bushes and forest species.

Control measures the same as against the early violet-gray cutworm.

Sailboats or cavaliers - a family that brings together the largest and beautiful butterflies. The greatest variety of species is found in the tropics, but interesting and colorful insects can be seen on other continents. The family includes 700 species of sailboats, 20 live in Russia. The swallowtail butterfly is a typical representative of the genus Papilio with long tails and wavy wings. The color of the insect is yellow with a black pattern and a red-blue eye. Despite the fact that the butterfly is found throughout the Palaearctic, its number has declined sharply. To protect Lepidoptera from complete destruction, the species was listed in the Red Book.

Morphological description

Swallowtail (Papiliomachaon) is one of the most common representatives of its family. Carl Linnaeus named the species after the mythical Greek physician Machaon, who participated in the campaign against Troy. The size of the wings of the male is 65-80 mm, females - 75-95 mm. The main background of the wings is yellow. In the middle of the forewing there is a pattern of black stripes and spots, the base is darkened. A wide black border with yellow hemispheres runs along the edge. The main part of the hind wings is yellow; a blue band with a black border runs closer to the edge. At outer edge red eye with black lining. The photo shows that the edge of the hind wings of the swallowtail butterfly is wavy, the tails reach a length of 10 mm.

Butterfly swallowtail

Information. Papiliomachaon of the first generation are light in color, representatives of the second generation are noticeably larger, their colors are richer and brighter.

The body of the moth is light, covered with sandy hairs. Longitudinal black stripes on chest and abdomen. The head is round, inactive. On the sides are compound compound eyes. The organ of vision helps insects navigate in space, distinguish objects and some colors. In the frontal part there are long jointed antennae ending in a club. The oral apparatus of the sucking type. This is a long black proboscis that allows you to drink nectar from flowers. At rest, it is twisted into a spiral.

Distribution area

The species lives throughout the Palaearctic. Found in all European countries except Ireland. Butterflies settled in temperate zone Asia, northern Africa, North America. The habitat boundary runs from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains.

Subspecies

The wide range of distribution of swallowtails has led to the formation of various subspecies that differ in color and size.

• P.m. bairdii is a black swallowtail butterfly native to North America. The dark form is similar to the polyxene sailboat. The main color is black. On the front wings, a pattern of yellow strokes and spots located on a black border. On the hind wings, in addition to yellow and blue spots near the tails, there is an orange eye.
• P.m. ussuriensis - lives in Primorye and the Amur region, the group is characterized by large sizes of insects. In females, the wingspan is 95 mm, in males - 85 mm. Insects are distinguished by the saturation of black and of blue color in coloration.
• P.m. hippocrates - a subspecies settled in Japan and nearby islands, in which a blue stripe above a red eye is enclosed between two black ones.
• P.m. kamtschadalus are unique bright yellow butterflies with a faded black pattern and shortened tails. An endemic subspecies lives on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• P.m. gorganus, a continental subspecies, is widely distributed on the plains of Russia, in the foothills of the Caucasus and Central Europe. What does the swallowtail butterfly look like, found in most European countries? The wingspan does not exceed 60-70 mm, their tails are 6-7 mm long. The background of the wings is light yellow with a distinct black pattern and blue spots.

Appearance of the caterpillar

In May, caterpillars of the first generation swallowtail butterfly appear. From the eggs they come out black with many orange warts and a white patch on the back. After several molts, the caterpillar becomes bright green with narrow black transverse stripes and orange spots on each body segment. The larva has three pairs of true legs on the thoracic segment and five pairs of prolegs on the abdomen.

The larva has a defense mechanism against enemies. This is the fork-shaped gland of osmetria. It is located in the prothoracic segment, looks like orange horns. The discharge and smell of osmetria repel ants, wasps and flies. The larvae use it in early ages. It does not work on larger predators - birds. The caterpillars are hunted by tits, reed buntings, nightingales. They destroy 40-50% of offspring.

related species

The sailboat Maaka or blue swallowtail butterfly also belongs to the genus Papilio. The insect is named after R.K. Maak, an explorer of Siberia and Far East. The wingspan of the largest butterfly in Russia is 125-135 mm. Coloration of the front wings of males with a green tint and black stripes. The hindwings are dark blue with blue spots. In females, the color is brown or black, on the hind wings there is a pattern of red spots at the outer edge.

The tail-bearer Maaka lives in Primorye, Transbaikalia, Sakhalin, Korea, Japan and China. The insect settles in broad-leaved and mixed forests. Caterpillars feed on trees from the rue family - Amur velvet, Sakhalin velvet. The blue swallowtail is listed in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region.

Habitat and lifestyle

In describing the lifestyle of the swallowtail butterfly, two points play a significant role: nutrition and reproduction. In the short time allotted to adults, they must gain strength for mating and continue the race. Favorite habitats: steppes with herbs, well-heated forest glades and edges, roadsides and river banks. In the northern regions it is found in the tundra. Individuals fly into cities. In the mountainous regions of the Alps, they fly to a height of 2000 m. Imagoes are prone to migration, in search of comfortable living conditions and fodder plants, they fly considerable distances.

Butterfly's years temperate climate from May to August, in the south - from March to November. The bulk of insects gives two generations, one in the north, in North Africa- three.

reproduction

The fertilized female lays single eggs on forage plants. IN middle lane these are umbrella: dill, parsley, angelica, mustard plaster, celery and cumin. In other regions, rue, birch, composite plants. Laying is carried out on the lower part of the leaf or stem, while the butterfly hangs in the air. The fertility of the female is 100-120 eggs. They are initially green, then turn yellow-brown.

A week later, a caterpillar 3 mm long appears. IN warm weather She eats a lot and grows fast. Prefers to eat ovaries and flowers, rarely leaves. The caterpillar goes through 5 instars. The adult larva grows up to 50 mm. The period of development depends on weather conditions, in favorable circumstances is 15-18 days. Before pupation, the caterpillar stops feeding and looks for a suitable place.

For pupation, a host plant stem or a nearby shrub is selected. The insect is attached to the twig with a silky belt. Summer pupae of the first generation are green. After 2-3 weeks, an imago appears from them. Wintering pupae are brown; this stage is delayed for the entire period of cold weather.

Nutrition

Sailboats fly actively in warm sunny weather. Imago needs additional nutrition on flowers and replenishment of microelements. Swallowtail males often gather in groups of 10-15 individuals on the wet shores of water bodies, sit on excrement and manure. What does the swallowtail butterfly eat? The main feeding occurs on the flowers of herbaceous plants:

• carrot;
• snakehead;
• oregano;
• honeysuckle;
• rose hip;
• geranium.

Having fulfilled the inherent function of reproduction, the insect dies. How long does a swallowtail butterfly live? The life span of adults is 3 weeks.

Limiting factors and protection

The number of swallowtail butterflies in Russia ranges from low to normal in different regions. The species is under threat in several areas: Smolensk, Moscow, Vologda. In these regions, as well as on Sakhalin, the swallowtail butterfly is listed in the Red Book. Negative factors affecting the number of butterflies are natural and economic. natural problems:

Anthropogenic factors:

• Forest fires and fallen grass.
• Insecticide treatment of agricultural fields.
• Destruction of caterpillars and capture of butterflies for collection.

A decrease in the number of Papiliomachaon is observed not only in Russia, but in European countries. The species is under state protection in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany. As a protective measure, it is forbidden to collect butterflies and caterpillars. In their habitats, the use of chemicals and grazing are regulated.

Butterfly swallowtail: interesting facts

• In 2006, at the initiative of the German Nature Conservation Union, the swallowtail became a symbol of the country. In this way, people's attention is drawn to the fate of endangered species.
• Tails and eyes on the tips of the wings serve to divert the attention of birds from the vital organs of the insect.
• If you disturb the butterfly, it begins to flap its wings sharply, trying to scare away the enemy with a flash of bright colors.
• The moth can be found in the mountains of Tibet at an altitude of up to 4500 km.
• At the end of summer, bright colors on the scales fade, the pattern on the wings becomes faded and unclear.
• The color intensity of the wings depends on climatic conditions. In subspecies living in the northern regions, the main color is sandy, almost white. In insects in the south, the palette changes to a bright yellow hue.