Types of Butterfly and Identification Part 1 4K

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 26 чер 2022
  • Types of Butterfly and Identification
    The Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
    The magnificent Monarch may be the most well-known and best-loved of all our insects. There is something truly regal about its size, bright colors, and powerful, soaring flight, but its kingly name supposedly comes from the spotted margins of its wings, which resemble the sable-edged robes worn by royalty at the time of its discovery.
    Nearly everyone has seen monarchs and is familiar with their mind-boggling migrations and million-butterfly roosting in the mountain forests of Mexico. But there are more reasons to be fascinated with this species. For one thing, it is thought that the poisonous sap in milkweed, the monarch's only food source, makes it distasteful to predators like birds.
    2. The Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
    It's hard to believe that this insect is completely unrelated to the monarch. The viceroy gets its name from its resemblance to the popular monarch butterfly (they're both royalty-get it?). They are so similar that this butterfly's identification relies largely on a quite minor difference in the hindwing markings.
    The viceroy is one of the most well-known cases of mimicry among North American butterflies (the viceroy's relatives are nearly all black or dark blue). The thinking among experts is that the monarch, which eats milkweed, is made poisonous by the caustic sap in the milkweed plant. This means that birds and other predators who have tried a nasty-tasting orange butterfly in the past will think twice when confronted with another one.
    . Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
    The red-spotted purple is closely related to-get this-the viceroy (the monarch-mimicking red-and-black butterfly pictured above). Even better, this pretty black-and-blue butterfly is believed to mimic the poisonous pipeline swallowtail (check this species out further down). That makes the Limenitis genus a pretty amazing bunch of copy-cats, adapting over millions of years to resemble animals that are poisonous and protected from predators.
    Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
    This bright orange butterfly wings fast across fields and around forest edges in mid- to late summer. Some researchers think its orange color is meant to mimic the poisonous monarch butterfly's colors; if so, that makes it yet another in the orange-butterfly mimic category that may also include over a dozen unrelated species.
    Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
    These big, beautiful butterflies can be identified by their bold yellow-and-black stripes, hence their common name. These tigers have an unusual life history. The adults are on the wing in mid-summer, wheeling high among the branches of ash and cherry trees, where the big females lay their eggs.
    . Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
    This beautiful insect is the northernmost species of a large tropical genus (Battus) that includes some of the most striking swallowtail butterflies in the tropics, which is saying something. The pipeline swallowtail is generally limited to the southern states, but it has been spotted as far south as Mexico and as far north as Manitoba, especially later in the summer as multiple broods spread north.
    Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
    Like the pipevine swallowtail (above), this is a generally southern species that sometimes ranges as far north as Canada. The caterpillar closely resembles a large bird dropping, which would serve to deter birds and other predators. In the American South, these big caterpillars are often called "orange dogs" for their choice of food plant: citrus trees, especially orange and lemon. In some cases they can cause damage to young trees.
    . Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus)
    This beautiful insect aptly named, with black stripes on a clear white background. Like the giant swallowtail (above), it is a northern representative of a group of butterflies that have many varieties throughout the Neotropics. You will seldom find this species outside of the southern states, but it will sometimes wander north, for example along the Mississippi River Valley.
    Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
    This common butterfly occurs in one form or another over pretty much the entire North American continent. I chose to picture the male, which has more yellow on its hind wings; the female black swallowtail is larger and has much more blue on its hindwings, making it yet another North American butterfly that resembles the poisonous pipeline swallowtail.
    10. Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
    Not a true beauty, perhaps, but this plain white insect is by far the most successful butterfly in North America. It was introduced from Europe many years ago and has found a home everywhere from your backyard garden to the wilds of the western mountains.
    #butterfly #butterflytypes #insects #beautifulbutterfly

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2