Swallowtail caterpillar and beautiful butterfly
Very often you can see a bright butterfly called the swallowtail. The color of the moth attracts both people and predators. An elegant pattern creates a unique tandem with flowers.
Content
Butterfly swallowtail: photo
Description of the swallowtail
Name: Machaon
Latin: papilio machaonClass: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Lepidoptera - Lepidoptera
Family: Sailboats - Papilionidae
 | Habitat: | Europe, Asia, North and South America |
 | Catering: | feeds on pollen, is not a pest |
 | Spread: | in the Red Book in some countries |
The name of the insect is associated with the ancient Greek healer Machaon.
The wings do not always have a yellow color, some of the butterflies are light or dark, depending on the species. They can be white with black incised veins and light semicircles framed with black edging.
The hindwings have a broad blue or pale blue wave, which is limited by a black stripe below and above. On the part of the wing adjacent to the body, there is a red-orange "eye", which is surrounded by a black stroke. There are flirtatious tails on the hind wings. Their length reaches 1 cm.
The body has light hairs. The chest and abdomen are decorated with several black lines. The back is dark. A bold black stripe connects the head to the very bottom. Forehead with long ears, at the ends of which there are noticeable bumps.
Faceted eyes are located on the sides of the rounded and inactive head. With their help, the swallowtail identifies objects and colors. They help you navigate well.
Butterflies are big. The wingspan ranges from 64 - 95 mm. Gender also affects size. Males are smaller. Wingspan from 64 to 81 mm. In females - 74 - 95 mm.
The life span does not exceed 3 weeks. The area affects it. In the period from spring to autumn, up to three generations may appear. Most give no more than 2 generations. There is only one in the north. Flight falls in May - August, in Africa - in March - November.
The drawing of the swallowtail is influenced by the period of appearance and the region of habitat.
In the northern regions, the moth has a pale color, and in warmer regions they are brighter. The first generation does not have a bright pattern. The next generation has larger sizes and a bright pattern.
Life
Butterfly machaon.
The activity of beautiful animals is observed on sunny and warm days. Moths are located on their favorite inflorescences and flowers. Nectar has a huge amount of valuable trace elements that are necessary for the swallowtail.
Usually the butterfly lives in the park, in the meadow and in the garden. Males choose the dominant height. Male individuals are united in a small group, a maximum of 15 individuals. They can be seen on the shore of the reservoir. Butterflies love hills, tall trees.
Beautiful swallowtails in flight. The hind wings are hidden behind the front ones. Fully extended wings can be seen when the sun rises or it rains. Thus, insects quickly warm up and fly away. Spread wings - a rare successful shot of a photographer.
Habitat
Butterflies can be found on almost the entire European continent. The exceptions are Ireland and Denmark. They can also be found in Asia, North Africa and North America. In Tibet can be found at an altitude of 4,5 km. Usually live in:
- steppes and dry limestone meadows;
Machaon.
- land under fallow;
- tall grass and wet meadows;
- city parks and groves;
- orchards and tree plantations.
However, the insect can migrate and fly even into the metropolis.
Diet
The main fodder plant in the desert and steppe of Asia is wormwood.
In the middle lane, the swallowtail eats:
- hogweed and carrots;
- dill, parsley, fennel;
- angelica, celery, cumin;
- thigh.
In other regions, the diet consists of:
- Amur velvet;
- ash-tree hairy;
- all types of whole leaf;
- alder.
An adult individual drinks nectar, sucks it out with the help of a proboscis.
Stages of development
| Step 1 | Tiny round eggs are green-yellow in color. After 4 - 5 days after laying, a larva (black caterpillar) appears, which has light "warts" and a central white spot on its back. |
| Step 2 | As it matures, the pattern becomes striated with pale green and black stripes ending in an orange dot. The larvae feed well. After 7 days they reach 8 - 9 mm. |
| Step 3 | Caterpillars feast on flowers and ovaries, sometimes - leaves of fodder plants. The caterpillars hold up well and are not able to fall if the stem is cut and moved. |
| Step 4 | Stops eating at the end of development. The final stage is pupation. It becomes a chrysalis on a plant. The season influences the shade of the chrysalis. |
The summer individual is colored in yellow-green tones and development occurs within 3 weeks. Winter - brown, similar to fallen leaves. Warm weather favors rebirth into butterflies.
Natural enemies
Swallowtails are a source of food for:
- cane oatmeal;
- tits and nightingales;
- insectivores;
- large spiders.
Protective mechanism
The caterpillar has a protective mechanism. It resides in a gland known as the osmeterium. She is able to put forward orange splayed horns with an orange-yellow secret that has a pungent odor.
Population and distribution
This species is not in danger of extinction. The number decreases, the number of mature individuals is reduced. However, the butterfly is common in the Mediterranean.
Entomologists do not have data on the exact number of subspecies. Opinions differ on this issue. Some scientists claim that there are 37 subspecies. Others count 2 times less.
Conclusion
The swallowtail butterfly, although it feeds on the nectar of many plants, is not a pest. Caterpillars also eat a lot of vegetative parts of plants, but do not cause colossal harm. A large number of individuals do not appear, because a significant number are eaten by birds.
Previous
We have swallowtails with a white background of wings in the Volga region. Their favorite plant is vetch.