2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
This year, the summer turned out to be hot, there was little rain, apparently, a set of these factors caused a mass reproduction of butterflies called the Admiral. I've never seen them before on my site. And then immediately there were so many! I was interested in the life of these heavenly fairies. I learned a lot of useful information from the books, which I want to share with you today
origin of name
In Latin, the Admiral butterfly was named Vanessa atalanta. This name was invented by the famous entomologist from Denmark Johann Christian Fabrice, who first discovered this species. A penchant for Greek mythology served as the basis. Atalanta - hunted animals and ran the fastest. The Admiral butterfly moves at a high speed for these creatures, covers distances of several thousand kilometers during migration.
She received the second name Admiral for the similarity of bright orange stripes with stripes on the military uniform of naval officers of the tsarist army.
Description
Large butterfly from the Nymphalidae family. The wingspan is 55 to 65 mm. The main background is black or brownish brown. Upper wings 25-35 mm with a carved edge with a small tooth. In the corners, closer to the outside, there are large and small white spots. Next is a bright orange stripe.
The lower part of the small wings is decorated with a sling of the same color with small black dots in the middle. Closer to the body, 2 blue spots with black edging are visible.
The underside of the wings is less colorful. It is a marbled pattern in brown tones with streaks and uneven lines. There are 2 blue rings in the center of the upper part.
Antennae with an extension at the end. Eyes covered with bristles. The forelegs are fleecy and contain receptors that can perceive the taste of food.
The caterpillar is dark brown in color, with hairs on the body and a yellow stripe at the bottom. The spots of the same color are scattered over the entire surface.
Single green eggs with small edges.
Development period
The lifespan of an adult is from 6 to 10 months. Returning from its wintering grounds (southern Russia) to the northern regions, the butterfly lays one egg for each leaf. A week later, under favorable conditions, a caterpillar appears, which folds the leaf plate into a tube and slowly feeds during its development. The protective shed serves not only as food, but also as protection from birds, adverse environmental factors (rain, wind, cold).
The fodder base is thistle, nettle, and common hop plants.
After a few months, the caterpillar turns into a brown pupa. Then, by the middle of summer, a beautiful butterfly emerges from it. This transformation occurs up to two times per season.
In Central Russia, representatives of this family live from June to early September. Then they fly back to wintering in warm regions. They clog under the bark of trees, waiting out the cold season.
Food
Adults are omnivorous, feeding on the nectar of flowers. When cherries ripen, they move to it. Then they move on to plum, pear, apple. The smell of fermented fruit attracts their attention, and the juice that stands out is an additional source of nutrition. Often in community with wasps, they sit on the fruits of these trees. The butterfly itself is not capable of gnawing the shell of the fruit.
Habitat
It is found everywhere in the European part, America, Africa, on the islands of the Atlantic Ocean, New Zealand, except for the tropics. Some specimens are seen in the mountains at an altitude of 2,500 km above sea level.
He loves the edges of forests, meadow spaces, the banks of reservoirs, forest belts, roadsides, garden plots.
The Admiral butterfly is listed in the Red Book of the Smolensk Region. Its number is very limited. Due to long-distance wintering flights, some individuals die on the road. Therefore, if you find this beauty on your site, just admire its bright color, but do not kill. It does not harm our garden crops. But how much aesthetic pleasure there is from contemplating this majestic beauty!
