Natural Herbal Remedies: Pictures and Characteristics of butterfly and Moths

Butterflies and moths are insects, and like all insects their bodies are made up of three fundamental sections; the head, thorax and abdomen. On the head are two large compound eyes, two antennae and a long curled proboscis.

Butterflies (Order: Lepidoptera) are brightly colored flying insects with two pairs of large wings that vary in color and pattern from species to species. Butterfly wings are covered with overlapping rows of tiny scales, a characteristic butterflies share with their fellow lepidopterans, the moths.

Lifespan: The average lifespan for an adult butterfly is 20 to 40 days. Some species live no longer than three or four days; others may live up to six months.

The compound eyes of lepidopterans are large, they do not provide good resolution but are very good in sensing movement. Moths' visual range extends into the ultraviolet spectrum improving sight at night. However this does lead them to be drawn to light sources.

Butterflies can see red, green, and yellow.

Behaviour

Butterflies and moths eat the nectar of flowers. Some species also eat mosses and ferns. Others may eat seeds and dead plants that lie on the ground

Some insects travel over large distances. Several species in Europe and North America migrate to warmer regions during the winter and come back to their normal habitat in summer.

Life cycle

Butterflies and moths pass through four stages in life:

EGG

The first stage is the egg. Females lay their eggs on plants.

LARVA

Eggs hatch into small worms that are known as caterpillars. Such caterpillars are busy and hungry. They eat a lot, sometimes twice as much as their own weight every day. After a few days their bodies become too big and their skins crack open. This is called moulting . A caterpillar can shed its skin many times during this phase.

PUPA

After moulting, caterpillars rest. Sometimes they bury their bodies into the ground. Other caterpillars hide in logs or rest in cocoons that they make. This resting stage can last for a few weeks, sometimes even for a whole winter. During this period a caterpillar changes into an adult butterfly.

ADULT

When caterpillars come out of their rest the wings are soft and wet. They fan the wings to pump blood into them and to dry and harden them. After a few hours the adult butterfly is ready to fly. Most adults live between four and six weeks. Some live only a few days while others may live up to ten months.

Butterflies and moths have many enemies, especially birds. In order to survive they protect themselves in different ways. Some butterflies have a bad smell . Other species have strange marks on them that frighten away birds. In addition, many butterflies and moths that are in rest look like dead animals or the twigs of leaves.

The Western Pygmy Blue, in Africa, has a wingspan of 1/2 inch. The smallest butterfly in the US is the Eastern Pygmy Blue, located in the southern region of the US. Their wingspan is approximately 5/8 inch. - See more at: http://www.gardenswithwings.com/facts-info/FAQ.html#sthash.gi6KluzJ.dpuf

Butterflies range in size from a tiny 1/8 inch to a huge almost 12 inches

The coloured patterns of the wings are created by scales. Scales produce colour by being filled by pigment or their surface is ribbed or grooved to refract light, producing the effect of colour.

The scales are attached to a transparent membrane in a similar way as roof tiles are fixed to a roof. The scales vary in colour and size. The scales can be seen under a microscope, as shown in the image on the right . Where the scales have been scaped off, the membrane is visible.

The sense of taste is not only through the mouth but also by sensors located underneath their feet. The thorax is comprised of three distinct sections, each section bearing a pair of legs. It is on the thorax where both pairs of wings are attached to the body

Peru has over 3,700 butterfly species - more than any other country and equal to about 20% of the world total. The butterflies of Peru however are still vastly under-recorded, and it is estimated that as many as 4,200 will eventually be discovered.

The highest known concentration of species is at Pakitza, an area of about 4000 hectares within Manu national park. Over 1,300 species have so far been recorded at Pakitza.

he largest butterfly in the world-Owl butterfly

Polyommatus icarus female Common Blue Polyommatus icarus female

A study in 1968 concluded that the 920,000 species of insect then known to exist accounted for 85% of all known animal species on Earth. The insects already known at that time included no less than 300,000 species of Coleoptera ( beetles ), 90,000 Diptera ( flies ), 108,000 Hymenoptera ( bees, wasps and ants ), and 113,000 Lepidoptera ( butterflies & moths ).