The most beautiful butterflies in the world. Rating of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. photo. video
“Flowers are like butterflies, and butterflies are flowers, they fly over our lives with light wings, and fall, falling from a height, when life seems hateful to them.” You can compare the delicate and light butterfly with human soul, which no one has seen, but everyone imagines her just like that, innocent, soaring and divinely beautiful. Today we have opened to you the world of queen insects, which can rightfully be called a light, delicate and fluttering butterfly.
1. Unusual beauty - Madagascar comet
This bright beauty is not called Comet for nothing; it is the longest butterfly in existence. Her home is considered to be the tropical island of Madagascar, which is known to many thanks to the popular and wonderful cartoon. The only pity is that the lifespan of this butterfly is only 1-3 days. Due to the lack of a digestive system, the Madagascar comet simply cannot survive. And it was created so that you and I could, although not for long, admire this beauty.
2. Sailboat Maaka - The most beautiful sailboat
The handsome Maak's Swallowtail is distinguished not only by its beauty, but also by its endurance. Unlike its tropical relatives, this species of butterfly is not afraid of the cold and feels completely calm in the eastern regions of Russia. The color of a butterfly's wings depends on who is in front of us: a male or a female. Males are characterized by a more emerald hue, while females are more brown in color.
3. Peacock Eye - Bright and Colorful
Chic day butterfly called the peacock eye, it got its name, as we already guessed, from its famous coloring, similar to a graceful bird. Her wings above and below are decorated with beautiful multi-colored ovals very similar to those that adorn the tail of a peacock. This beautiful creature lives preferably in Europe and Asia, but do not be upset, this type of incredible butterfly can be found in more eastern regions, to do this you just need to go to a field or meadow, because this creature of divine beauty unfortunately does not live in megacities.
4. Golden birdwing - Talisman for prosperity
The Asian miracle butterfly is very popular in its country as it is considered a talisman that brings material well-being. For the large size and color of its wings, the butterfly got its due interesting name. The color itself consists of two colors: the upper wings of the butterfly are black, and the lower wings are golden or, more accurately, yellow. The unsurpassed combination of colors makes this butterfly one of the most beautiful on our planet.
5. Greta Oto - Glass Beauty
Of amazing beauty, the most graceful and sophisticated butterfly in the world is the butterfly with female name Greta Oto. Her amazing wings are so thin and transparent that it seems as if they are made of the finest crystal. You can meet such a little beauty in Mexico and Argentina, and it lives in humid, evergreen and flowering forests. This butterfly is a gourmet and feeds on the nectars of various poisonous flowers. And she does this in order to scare off her enemies with the possibility of poisoning. Clever, isn't it?
6. Morpho Peleida - Legendary beauty
This beautiful butterfly is associated with a legend about the origin of its name. The butterfly was named after the famous Greek hero, the mighty Achilles Peleid, son of Peleus and Thetis. First of all, it seduces us with its bright blue aristocratic coloring, and only then with its wingspan.
7. Glory of Bhutan - Unusual Moth
The unusual and peculiar shape of this species of butterfly attracts the attention of even those who are not particularly fond of insects of this species. And the wingspan and the ability to camouflage by folding the wings one on one is surprising and amazing. The Indian beauty butterfly lives in the mountains and forests, and is carefully protected by the state. Each wing has three tails of different lengths, which give the whole image sophistication and grace, and bright red spots loom like warning signs: “You can’t eat me, I’m inedible.”
8. Prince of Darkness - a terrifying name, but a beautiful content
Peacock-eye Atlas or Prince of Darkness is one of the largest moths in the world, and its color is considered the most beautiful. The size of the butterfly is so large that in Taiwan their cocoons are used as a place to store small items or instead of a wallet. The reddish-brown pattern on the wings looks very impressive. Once you meet her, you will never be able to forget her.
9. Lovely Urania
This species of butterfly is also called Madagascar Urania, since it lives only on this wonderful island. The bright color, which includes several colors at once, was recognized as the most beautiful in the world. Another distinctive feature is the unusual, smooth and graceful shape of the insect's wings.
10. Oleander Hawkmoth - Caucasian pride
This type of moth can be considered the most aesthetically beautiful and unusual. You can safely call them a masterpiece of natural art, because if you look closer at them, you get the impression that the butterfly’s wings were painted by a talented artist. Those who visit the mountainous Caucasus, its habitat, will be lucky enough to see this butterfly.
11. Royal tailed butterfly - Unsurpassed butterfly
One of the most beautiful butterflies planet is a butterfly from the blueberry family - the royal tailed tail. Her beautiful wings are decorated with long spurs, making her even more graceful and sophisticated. When at rest, the butterfly folds its wings in a vertical plane and becomes invisible among the foliage. Its color varies, but the most beautiful is blue.
12. Sericin Montela - not bright, but gentle and no less beautiful
This butterfly lives in Russia and can also be found in China. Delicate pastel colors give it tenderness and grace, and two long tails on the lower wings make the butterfly sophisticated and sophisticated.
13. Handsome Swallowtail
This beautiful name was given to the butterfly by the Swedish naturalist Carl Lineus in honor of the Greek character, the miracle doctor Machaon. Bright representative butterflies that you can meet and admire, because how beautifully the colors of their wings combine and this was created by nature itself, not man.
14. Admirals are also not only strict, but also beautiful
Another giant butterfly lives on forest edges, meadows and fields. beautiful name Admiral. This is a day butterfly. It can be found on flowers and trees from early spring to late autumn. The color of the Admiral's wings is very similar to marble, but there is distinguishing feature- these are white spots on the upper wings, so that you will not confuse her with anyone else.
15. Queen Alexandra's sailing ship
The rarest butterfly found in nature, its habitat is limited to only one village in New Guinea. The colors of the female and the male are strikingly different, and it is worth mentioning that it is the male of this species that is considered the most beautiful representative of butterflies. The emerald blue color of the wings makes it a desirable exhibit in any collection.
16. Butterfly - owl Caligo - Night fairy
This spectacular beauty loves to walk at night, so she has ultrasonic hearing and even a voice. Its color is very interesting and beautiful, and its small scales are very pronounced. This is why large insect wings are often compared to snake skin. Our night guest has a big sweet tooth, she loves sweet and overripe fruits, honey and sweet flower nectar. And you can meet this fluttering beauty in tropical forests Central and South America.
17. Even butterflies can be monarchs
The Monarch butterfly, or as it is also called Danaid Monarch, is the most beautiful miniature butterfly on the planet. Almost everyone knows her, because she, like a real model, appears on the covers of books, in various illustrations and even stamps. And it is well deserved. Look at her clear pattern, on these little wings the smooth lines go very well with black and white polka dots, and you know, the classics have always been in fashion.
18. Butterfly Agrippina
The wingspan of this beauty is no more than 15 cm, but nevertheless it is the largest living moth in the world.
15 most interesting facts about butterflies
Butterflies are creatures of incredible beauty, quite fragile and light. They impress not only with their appearance, but also with the way they are born, proving the amazingness of the world around us. Being at first caterpillars, rather unpleasant in appearance, they then wrap themselves in a cocoon and are reborn into winged beauty, but, unfortunately, short-lived. We have collected interesting facts about butterflies, because they can surprise not only with their color.
1. The smallest butterfly called acetosia has a wingspan of no more than 2 millimeters, and the largest one, Agrippina, is known for its wingspan of 30 centimeters.
2. Interesting fact about butterflies for children is that, like elephants, these insects take food through their trunk. Of course they have it minimum sizes and spruce is noticeable.
3. Thanks to selection and the wonders of nature, there are at least 165 thousand different species of these insects on the planet.
4. Interesting fact about the swallowtail butterfly. Among all the others, she is the strongest and fastest, although now very rare. Swallowtail was once encountered even in Tibet at an altitude of 4.5 kilometers.
5. Unusual ability possessed by hawk moths - exclusively nocturnal moths. They can create a howl that vaguely resembles that of an animal. In fact, this buzzing allows them to pretend for a while queen bee and, having entered the hive, enjoy honey, which is their favorite food.
6. Butterflies sit on top of their food, because their main taste receptors are on their paws. 
7. Among the most interesting facts about butterflies is their habitat. Of course, they do not live in Antarctica, because the conditions there are too harsh, but at the same time they somehow endure the harsh climate of the Canadian Queen Elizabeth Island, which is located less than one thousand kilometers from the North Pole.
8. Despite their very short life, from a couple of days to several weeks, moths sometimes manage to lay up to one thousand eggs, from which caterpillars will subsequently be born, and then moths again.
9. An interesting fact about the Apollo butterfly - it is the only one that can live in places where the snow sometimes does not melt all year round and at the same time feel comfortable.
10. Most Moths are afraid of water, because once they fall into it, they will not be able to get out. The voluminous wings get wet and do not allow them to take off again, but this does not apply to the lilac moth. Even having plunged completely, she is able to emerge and continue her flight.
11. Special types of these insects can successfully accelerate in flight to a speed of 60 km/h.
12. Monarch butterflies stand out from the rest because of their ability to identify medicinal properties plants. Then they use this in life if their family needs help.
13. An interesting fact from the life of butterflies - some of them, like mosquitoes, can drink blood. Only the calyptra eustrigata has this feature; it is a rather rare species and, moreover, only males are vampires; females still prefer a plant diet.
14. Moths have some kind of skeleton. It is called an exoskeleton and is located not inside the body, as in the majority of living beings, but outside. All the organs of an insect are located inside it.
15. Butterflies do not have a heart, but the structure of their eyes allows them to see and distinguish three key colors - red, green and yellow.
Signs with butterflies
Signs about butterflies always promise only good things.
- These insects quite rarely fly into houses, but if this does happen, it promises happiness and prosperity to the owners of the home.
- An insect that found itself in a house in the morning guarantees its residents career growth, improvement of financial situation.
- If a winged guest comes to you in the evening, after sunset, then family idyll and happiness in your personal life. Such a guest can bring good news on her rainbow wings, most often associated with an imminent wedding or pregnancy. It is believed that a butterfly in the home helps make wishes come true.
In order for your guest to make your dream come true, you need to catch her as carefully as possible so as not to damage her wings, and tell her in a whisper about what you really want. After this, you should release the butterfly through the same window through which it flew, and truly believe that it will help fulfill your wish. The likelihood of such a prospect will be higher if you catch it and share your dreams.
The presence of a beauty in the house may mean that long-awaited guests will visit you in the near future. People you like will come to your home, and this meeting will be so pleasant that you will remember it for a long time as the most joyful and bright event in your life.
You can judge the future by how a butterfly that flies into the house behaves.
- So, if she “dances”, then she foreshadows the owners of the house great happiness in their personal lives.
- For single people, this behavior of a butterfly in the house promises fast wedding, and for married people - harmony and mutual understanding in relationships. And the brighter the color of the butterfly, the happier the family life will be.
However, do not be upset if a butterfly that flies into your house behaves motionless - this is also auspicious sign. Most likely, in the near future you will gain peace of mind and balance. The sign does not specify what exactly will lead to this, but it will definitely be some very pleasant event:
- relaxing weekend with your loved ones
- or meeting new people who, from the first minutes of communication, will turn out to be kindred spirits for you.
In any case, a butterfly that has flown into the house should be caught and released, otherwise you will not have to wait for any of the benefits described above.
Many people, despite the amazing beauty of butterflies, are afraid of their visit, remembering how our distant ancestors connected these insects with the other world and the souls of the dead. Some even believe that a butterfly that has flown into a house carries on its colorful wings the terrible news of someone’s death. It is better not to take such signs seriously, and if we consider the butterfly a messenger other world, then interpret her arrival solely as a sign that someone in the next world remembers and protects you.
Negative signs are especially often associated with butterflies whose wings are black or very dark color. It is believed that such an insect that flies into the house is a harbinger of sadness and terrible troubles. If you are overcome by such fears, catch the insect and release it outside.
Butterflies, due to their similarity to flowers, are rightfully considered one of the most beautiful animals on Earth. These insects are all beautiful, but there are some of the most beautiful butterflies in the world that make it into the top ten.
1. Atlas (Prince of Darkness)
Atlas leads the top ten in beauty. The wing shape of this butterfly resembles a snake's head, which camouflages it from insectivores. The caterpillars of this individual feed on leaves, and when they turn into butterflies, they live off the accumulated substances. Therefore, beautiful Atlases do not live long - only ten days. Quite large moth– dimensions reach several tens of centimeters. It lives in tropical and subtropical latitudes of China, on the island of Java, as well as Indonesia, Thailand and Southeast Asia. The Prince of Darkness received its second name due to the fact that it prefers to be active at night.
One of the most beautiful specimens among all representatives of butterflies. It rightfully ranks second in the ranking. Its wingspan is 9 cm. The scales of Urania’s wings are individually multi-colored, and together they create an unusual and uniquely beautiful pattern. The edges of the wings are painted white. The unusual ornament and color protects from enemies. He warns that urania is a poisonous insect. The diurnal butterfly likes to be active during daylight hours. Closer to night, a flock of beauties gathers in a certain shelter for the night.
In third place is Queen Alexandra's Birdwing. Collectors all over the world are hunting for this specimen. This butterfly lives in New Guinea. Males of this amazing insect are much more attractive than females. Their wings are colored green, blue and black and look like narrow plant leaves against a dark background. The color of females is more modest, but females are larger than males. Their wingspan can reach 28 centimeters.
In fourth place is Maak's Sailboat. In Russia, this insect is considered the largest among butterflies, with a wingspan reaching 13.5 centimeters. Maak's sailboat received a different name - Blue Swallowtail. Males are predominantly black and green, but females are so diverse in color that it is impossible to find two identical ones. Butterflies like to gather in flocks after rain and settle on wet plants. If you scare them away, you can see a stunningly beautiful emerald-colored “cloud” that flies up into the air.
The fifth place is occupied by the Glory of Butane. This is a diurnal butterfly with a wingspan of 13 cm, which are slightly rounded at the top and divided into three small tails at the bottom. The number of individuals of this species is small, so the insect is listed in the Red Book. The main color shade is dark blue. There are black beauties with yellow stripes that vertically cross the entire perimeter of the wings. The Glory of Butane lives in Northern India and Thailand. Its natural habitat is also in Southeast Asia, as well as Bhutan. These insects live up to three weeks.
The sixth place in the top ten is occupied by the Madagascar comet or Saturnia, as it is also called. The longest butterfly has orange wings with brown round spots resembling the shape of eyes. Behind the wings is a tail, the length of which reaches 20 cm. But it falls off after several flights. The Madagascar comet does not live long, only a few days. Such a short life span is explained by the lack of digestive organs. And the beauties survive due to the accumulated nutrients when the butterfly was still a caterpillar. The island of Madagascar is the comet's natural habitat. Locals They believe that these insects bring good luck.
Seventh place went to one of the most beautiful butterflies - the Admiral. It deserves its name due to the presence of bright red stripes on its black wings. The wingspan of this insect reaches 6 cm. It can live for 9 months. A champion of flights, because he flies to Africa from Eurasia for the winter. At the same time, Admirals do not migrate in flocks, but individually. That's why they are also called travel butterflies. The diurnal lepidoptera can live up to three weeks. Adult insects love to eat nettles, as well as thistles. The admiral can be seen on forest edges, on the banks near reservoirs, as well as in mountain meadows. Except on the Eurasian continent, this beautiful insect lives in North America and on many Atlantic islands.
The eighth place is rightfully occupied by the beautiful Morpho Peleida, whose name is literally translated as “beauty”. It has a unique bright blue color. There are very noticeable white spots on the edges of the wings. Thanks to this coloring, this butterfly attracts individuals of the opposite sex and repels natural enemies. Morpho does not live long - only two weeks. Males do not like loneliness and live in groups. South American Indians believe that Morpho are the souls of the dead. The insect lives in Southeast Asia, as well as Central and South America. This butterfly is quite large - the wingspan is 12 cm.
The ninth place in the top ten most beautiful butterflies is rightfully occupied by Greta Oto. Another representative of this amazing species is called the Glass Butterfly. Transparent wings have a red or dark border and create the visual effect of glass or crystal. Wingspan up to 5 cm. Greta Oto lives in Mexico and Argentina. The beautiful worker pollinates most species of local plants and can fly up to 12 km per day. The Glass Butterfly feeds on poisonous vegetation, so it becomes an uninteresting object of hunting for natural enemies.
The top ten is completed by Peacock's Eye. The wings of this beautiful butterfly are brightly colored, and along the edges there are four light spots that look very similar to eyes - hence the name. Peacock's eye is a nocturnal butterfly. She has the best sense of smell among representatives of this order of insects. The male can smell the female tens of kilometers away. This butterfly lives for about 9 months. The peacock's eye hibernates, huddled in the bark of trees. There the beautiful insect waits for the arrival of spring. Lives throughout Eurasia. The Peacock's eye settles everywhere, as long as plants bloom in these places. He only dislikes North Africa.
Butterflies are some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. In their splendor they can only compete with flowers. They were always surrounded by an aura of some mystery. This still seems amazing - how an unpleasant-looking caterpillar turns into a beautiful and graceful creature. There are many legends and traditions associated with butterflies. For example, the beautiful custom of giving your chosen one a butterfly before the wedding is still used in China today. In Japan, they were released during the wedding celebration.
There is an amazing variety of butterflies in the world: small, huge, inconspicuous or eye-catching with their bright colors. The most beautiful butterflies in the world, with names and images, will be presented to your attention in our review. We will try to rank the best representatives of the order Lepidoptera.
Selection criteria
It is almost impossible to determine the name of the most beautiful butterfly on the planet - it will definitely have a dozen worthy rivals. What parameters should be used to select the most attractive and effective of them? First of all, according to appearance. The most beautiful butterfly in the world cannot be inconspicuous. Just looking at her should take your breath away. Size matters too. The brightest butterfly, if it is very tiny, is difficult to notice and appreciate all its beauty.
Urania madagascarica
The most beautiful butterfly, which ranks first in the ranking, comes from Madagascar, which is reflected in its name. She lives only there and is not found in other places. The wingspan is 7-11 centimeters. They are covered with a rainbow pattern of yellow, green, red and blue tones. The background of the wings is black, and the colors look especially great on it. The hind wings have outgrowths called “tails”. The body of the butterfly is covered with long hairs orange color. An interesting feature is that it prefers to feed on white or yellowish-white flowers.
Saturnia madagascarensis
Another representative of Madagascar. The most beautiful butterfly leads night look life and has an unusual color - from lemon to orange. The wings are decorated with large “eyes”. They have something like a pupil and from a distance very much resemble real eyes. The peculiarity of this butterfly is the presence of outgrowths-tails on the lower wings, reaching 14 centimeters in males. Therefore, its other name is the comet butterfly.
Glory to Bhutan
This most beautiful butterfly belongs to the swallowtail family, almost all species of which are particularly attractive. Maak's swallowtail, swallowtail, Queen Alexandra's birdwing and many others have long been recognized as one of the most beautiful butterflies.
The interesting thing about Bhutan is that it lives high in the mountains. Against the dark background of the wings, a bright spot located below immediately catches the eye. The butterfly has several “tails” on the bottom of its wings. It lives in the treetops and reluctantly descends to the ground. Has interesting feature, which is not typical for other butterflies - it is more active in rainy weather.
Peacock eye atlas
This most beautiful butterfly is at the same time one of the largest representatives of lepidoptera in the world. Its wingspan can reach 24 centimeters.
Despite its dull color, the Atlas Peacock Eye attracts attention with the unusual color pattern of its wings and their shape. They resemble curved snake heads.
The butterfly is also unusual in that it does not feed in its adult stage. The nutrients that have been accumulated by the caterpillar are enough for her. Therefore, the life of these creatures is short-lived - after about 10 days they die, giving birth to new offspring.
The atlas peacock eye is not only one of the most beautiful, but also useful insects. In India, butterfly caterpillars are used to produce especially durable silk. In some tropical countries Huge cocoons are used as wallets.
The caterpillars of this giant butterfly also look unusual. They reach a length of 10 centimeters, are painted in light green tones and are equipped with light processes.
What is the most beautiful butterfly in the world? Determining who is worthy of this flattering title is quite difficult. What seems beautiful to one may not cause any delight to another butterfly connoisseur. You can only make a list of the most interesting representatives of the order Lepidoptera, and everyone will choose the most beautiful of them himself.
Butterflies look like real flowers. Since ancient times, these winged insects have been associated with spring, beauty, eternity, and rebirth of the soul. The Italians called them "flowers blown by the wind." In Asian countries, the butterfly is not just a beautiful creature, but also a delicacy.
The beauty of butterflies is created by the scales that cover their wings. The scales have ribbed walls, and when sunlight falls on them and is refracted, different colors appear. It was the external characteristics that brought these insects to the pinnacle of popularity among collectors. About 200 thousand species of Lepidoptera are known, and the most beautiful butterflies in the world are presented in our rating.
10. Peacock eye
Its small wings, the span of which can reach no more than 5.5 cm, are very brightly colored. On a bright red background, four iridescent spots resembling eyes are located along the edges. The Peacock Eye lives for about 9 months. For the winter, it goes to the crevices of tree bark, where it waits for the arrival of warm weather.
9. Greta Oto
Greta Oto or the Glass Butterfly is one of the most amazing views winged insects. Greta Oto received its second name due to the transparency of its wings. In Argentina and Mexico, this is the most common butterfly. One of the smallest creatures has wings with a span of 5 cm. Crystal-transparent wings are decorated at the edges with a red or brown border. This kind of plays important role in the ecosystem, as it participates in the pollination of most local plants. The peculiarity of Greta Oto is that she prefers only poisonous vegetation as food. Accumulating a lot of toxins in their small body, they become unattractive to insectivores. A glass butterfly can cover a distance of up to 12 km per day.
8. Morpho Peleida
Morpho Peleida, which means “beauty” in Greek, lives up to its name. Its brilliant, blue-blue coloring of the wings has a black frame around the edges with pronounced white spots. The unique shade helps to attract individuals of the opposite sex and scare away hunters. The life of Morpho is not long and averages 2 weeks. A peculiarity of this species is that males prefer to live in groups.
7. Admiral
Among the most beautiful winged insects is the Admiral butterfly, which received its name for the bright red stripes on its black velvety wings with white spots. This relatively small beauty has a wingspan of only 5-6 cm. A special feature of the Admiral is that it makes flights over vast distances in the fall. The life period is about 9 months.
6. Madagascar comet
The Madagascar comet is not only a real beauty, but also the longest butterfly in the world. At the back, its bright orange wings with brown eyes are decorated with twenty-centimeter tails, which tend to fall off literally after a few flights. The lifespan of the Madagascar comet is only a few days. This winged insect lacks digestive system and the mouth, since it feeds from the accumulated nutrients that it received while still a caterpillar.
5. Glory to Bhutan
The mountain butterfly Glory of Bhutan ranks fifth in beauty among winged insects. Its amazing shapes and unique color will not leave any esthete indifferent. The wingspan does not exceed 10 cm. Each wing has three bizarrely shaped tails at the back, which gives the arthropod a special zest. Two bright red spots at the back warn bird hunters that they are inedible. The Bhutan Slava tends to fold its hind wings under its front wings, making it almost invisible. In India, this species of butterfly is protected.
4. Maak's sailboat
The Maaka swallowtail or Blue Swallowtail lives on Sakhalin. Males have an incredibly beautiful color, shimmering with a dark green tint, against which black fields appear. Males often form clusters and settle near streams and rivers or on wet roads after rain. Soaring into the sky, the disturbed flock forms an amazing spectacle of an iridescent dark green cloud.
3. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
It is considered one of the most valuable specimens among collectors. The insect's habitat is New Guinea. Males are considered more beautiful than females, thanks to their amazing coloring, which attracts the attention of not only females, but also aesthetes among people. Their wings shimmer with the most delicate shades of green and blue and resemble the graceful, narrow leaves of a strange plant. Females cannot boast of such beauty. They are much larger in size larger than males– when flying, they are able to create a wingspan of up to 28 cm.
2. Urania madagascarica
One of the most beautiful beautiful creatures of nature is the Urania Madagascar butterfly. These are quite large flying insects with a wingspan of up to 9 cm. Under a magnifying glass, you can see that Urania’s wings are multi-colored scales, which together form an amazing rainbow pattern. Along the edges of the wings there is a white edging, which gives special individuality and uniqueness. appearance butterflies. Its bright, unusual coloring is a protective element from those who want to hunt it. The unusual color signals to insectivores that these individuals are poisonous. Uranias love daylight hours and are vigorously active during the day. In the evening, a flock of beauties gathers in one place for the night.
1. Atlas
The rating of the most beautiful butterflies is headed by Atlas or Prince of Darkness. Atlas prefers to lead an active existence in the dark, which is why it received its second name. It is also the largest insect of its family. Its wingspan can reach several tens of centimeters. The color and shape of the wings resembles the head of a snake. Thus, the Prince scares away animals that are not averse to eating insects. Its life span is only a ten-day period. While still a caterpillar, he actively replenishes his body with nutrients, due to which he will survive, turning into a butterfly.
Fluttering flowers - butterflies rightfully deserve this poetic name. Intricate patterns on the thinnest wings, pleasing to the eye combinations of bright colors - nature in once again showed extraordinary design skills by creating such marvelous creatures.
Butterfly is one of the most mysterious creatures nature. Such a wonderful transformation cannot be invented on purpose. From an unsightly larva emerges a real beauty with painted wings.
Today there are about 165,000 species of butterflies around the globe.
The curious world has prepared for you material about giant butterflies, the size of which amazes the imagination.
1. Tizania Agrippina
Moth. The most big butterfly in the world lives in Brazil and Peru. It is an endangered insect. Its wingspan is 30.8 centimeters. It is also called scoop agrippina.
2. Queen Alexandra's Ornithoptera or Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Day butterfly. She received her name in honor of the wife of the British King Edward VII. The wingspan is up to 31 cm with a body length of about 8 cm. Such a creature can weigh up to 12 grams. The giant butterfly is found exclusively in the forests of the Oro province of Papua New Guinea. Unfortunately, the species is on the verge of extinction.
3. Peacock-eye "Hercules"
A moth from a monotypic genus ( Coscinocera) in the peacock eye family. One of the largest butterflies in the world, and the largest in Australia; The wingspan of females can reach 27 cm.
4. Peacock eye “Atlas”
The butterfly received the name “atlas” from the ancient Greek mythical hero Atlas, or Atlas. He held the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Only a very large butterfly could receive this name. The wingspan of the atlas is up to 26 centimeters. Cultivated in India. Its caterpillars produce excellent silk.
5. Sailboat "Antimachus"
This is the largest diurnal butterfly in Africa. Wingspan up to 24 cm. This butterfly lives in tropical rainforests from west coast Sierra Leone to Uganda. Despite its extensive habitat, this species is not numerous. The butterfly is considered rare because it flies exclusively in virgin rain forests, which, due to mass felling are in danger of extinction. Unfortunately, it is very poisonous. Only three countries: Ghana, Ivory Coast and Zaire have taken measures to protect the antimach.
6. Birdwing “Goliath”
Large day butterfly of the Swallowtail family. The wingspan of males is up to 20 cm, females up to 22 cm. The color of males consists of 3 primary colors - green, yellow, black. The color of females is brown-brown, with light spots, the lower wings have a wide gray-yellow border.
It lives in the mountain tropical forests of the Moluccas archipelago, from Ssoram Island to Goodenow Island off the southeastern coast of New Guinea, at an altitude of up to 2300 m above sea level. Currently, 7 subspecies of goliath are known.
7. Trogonoptera Trojan
A large daytime butterfly from the Swallowtail family. The specific name means “Trojan”, “originally from Troy”.
The wingspan is up to 19 cm. The female is slightly larger or the same size as the male. It lives only on the island of Palawan.
8. Ornithoptera cresus
Large day butterfly of the Swallowtail family. The species binomial name is given in honor of Croesus, the last king of Lydia in 560-546 BC. e. from the Mermnad family.
The wingspan is up to 19 cm. Males are characterized by an orange-yellow coloration of the wings, combined with black “inserts”. When illuminated from the side, the wings flash a greenish-yellow glow.
The discoverer of the butterfly, naturalist Alfred Wallace, recalled his first discovery of a male moose on the island of Bachai: “The beauty of this butterfly cannot be expressed in words and no one except a naturalist will understand the deep excitement that I experienced when I finally caught it. When I took her out of the net and spread her majestic wings, my heart began to beat, the blood rushed to my head, I was then closer to fainting than in those moments when I was in danger of death. All that day I had a headache: the excitement was so great...”
9. Saturnia Madagascar or Madagascar comet
This butterfly is also called the Moon moth - a luxurious night butterfly of the family peacock eye. It is one of the world record holders for wing size.
This nocturnal beauty can only be seen in Madagascar. This species is endangered, so in Madagascar these magnificent butterflies are successfully bred on special farms.
Having given the butterfly such a bright appearance, Mother Nature saved on life support systems: peacock butterflies do not have a mouthparts or a digestive tract, so the Madagascar comet lives only 2-3 days from the reserves of nutrients accumulated by the caterpillar.
The wingspan is up to 18 cm. The wings are decorated unusually long tails sometimes reaching 20 cm. Tails often fall off after several flights.
The wings are bright yellow. Each wing has one large “eye” brown, with a black dot in the center. The tips of the wings have a brown-black spot.
10. Golden Birdwing or Troides
One of the largest diurnal butterflies in South Asia. Its wingspan is about 16 cm. Thanks to its size and flight style, it got its name - Birdwing. Indeed, the flight of Troides is more like the flight of a bird than the fluttering of a butterfly. Its golden-yellow, translucent and pearlescent hind wings shine like the Sun and fill the atmosphere with the energy of light and joy. And this energy is really noticeable when you hold this beautiful butterfly on your hand, because it is not without reason that among Asian peoples the Golden Birdwing is considered a symbol of financial well-being!
Butterfly Troides is pretty rare species and has long been listed in the Red Book. IN wildlife, in the homeland of the Troides butterfly (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia) it is very difficult to see this golden-winged flyer, because Troides primarily live deep in tropical forests.
11. Peacock-eye Pear
This butterfly is also called the large night peacock eye, or Saturnia pear - a butterfly from the Peacock-eye family. The largest moth in terms of wingspan in Europe and Russia.
The wingspan is up to 15 cm. Females are larger than males. On the upper side of both pairs of wings there is one large eye with a black center and a brown rim around it. There is also a white border and a reddish ring around the eye. There is a light stripe along the edge of the wings, followed by a black stripe, closer to the base of the wing, interrupted only at the top of the fore wings.
It is found in Southern and Central Europe, to the southwestern part of Russia, in the Caucasus, Asia Minor and in Iran, Crimea.
Landscapes with a large number of shrubs and trees, forest edges, parks, gardens, fruit plantations.
12. Ornithoptera Chimera
The wingspan is up to 15 cm. This butterfly flies very well, making extraordinary turns in the air, gliding and diving in search of nectar. Pollinates hibiscus.
The ornithopter chimera is widespread on the islands of New Guinea and Java in tropical rainforests at an altitude of 1200-1800 m above sea level.
13. Maak's sailboat or Mak's tail carrier
A significant part of the black forewing of the male shimmers with a green dotted coating, which, closer to the edge, thickens into a sparse emerald-blue border. The area free from green coating shines with magical black silk: it is covered with the finest and most delicate fragrant black hairs - androconia. The hind wings with a wavy edge and long tails shine with an iridescent blue-green pattern.
The wingspan of the female reaches 13.5 cm.
The green dotted coating evenly covers the entire dark brown forewing of the female. The pattern of its hind wings is the same as that of the male, but its shine is muted, and in the marginal wavy border, along with green-blue, red-violet shades also appear. Females are much more variable than males. Among them it is difficult to find two identical butterflies.
This largest daytime butterfly in Russia surpasses many of its tropical relatives in its beauty. It's hard to believe that the range of this remarkable sailboat extends to 54° northern latitude, on which Tynda and northern Sakhalin are located. The Maaka tail-bearer lives in the Middle Amur region, Primorye, North Korea, Manchuria, on the Kuril Islands. In these places, butterflies are often found in broad-leaved and mixed forests, less often - in spruce-fir. They also fly into taiga villages. During the period when subalpine plants bloom, butterflies rise into the mountains up to 2000 m above sea level: looking for food, they fly around treeless peaks in a circle.
14. Urania Madagascar
The wingspan is 10.5 cm. This species of butterfly is characteristic only of Madagascar. Flies during the day and feeds on flower nectar. Butterflies can be seen all year round, with their numbers increasing especially from May to July. Her wings, despite the apparent lack of color at the tips, play with the various colors of the rainbow.
