Butterfly development diagram description. Life cycle of butterflies (metamorphoses): butterfly development

Where do butterflies come from, such beautiful insects with painted wings. Find out how easy it is for butterflies to be born. Do you know that on average butterflies live 1 month. And during this month they manage to lay several thousand larvae.

Phases of butterfly appearance:

1. An adult female butterfly lays eggs on the leaves of plants. Although she will never see her babies, she still tries to preserve her offspring; for this, some butterflies bury eggs in the ground, while others cover the clutch with secretions from special glands, there are also those that cover the clutch with scales and villi, which they obtain from their own abdomen.

Depending on the type of butterfly and temperature conditions, the offspring develop in the egg from several days to several months.

2. Next comes the second phase: a caterpillar emerges from the egg - this is a butterfly larva. It eats leaves, thereby accumulating energy and nutrients; also during this phase, the caterpillar, the larva, sheds its old skin, this process is called molting.

3. After the last molt, the caterpillars turn into motionless pupae. Having found a safe place, the caterpillar clings to the plant and begins to wrap itself in silk threads, which stick together and form a cocoon. Most often, it has a color similar to the external environment, which allows them to camouflage and preserve their lives. During this period, the cocoon undergoes reconstruction and transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly. At the end of the transformation period, the cocoon shell bursts and a butterfly emerges from it.

But the butterfly cannot fly right away, since its wings are soft and folded. First it straightens and dries, and only then it flies.

This is the transformation from an ordinary caterpillar into a beautiful soaring butterfly!

How a caterpillar turns into a butterfly is of interest to almost everyone. An equally intriguing question is whether all caterpillars turn into butterflies. There are 156 species in the order Lepidoptera. The history of their appearance goes back to the Jurassic era, they fluttered above the dinosaurs, and the process of their transformation has not changed at all.

Where do caterpillars come from: the life cycle of butterflies

The female lays eggs after fertilization. Under favorable conditions, a larva develops inside. The process takes from 2 to 14 days. Upon completion, they gnaw through the rim of the eggs and crawl out. This is how the caterpillar appears.

The size of the first stage larvae is about 1 mm. They are born with a huge appetite and grow quickly. As they grow older, they undergo an average of 4 molts, but there are species that are reborn up to 16 times. The duration of this cycle depends on the type of insect and habitat. In our area, females manage to give birth to two generations; the larva develops in about 6 weeks.

Caterpillars live under the bark of trees, in cereals, grains, and under the leaves of various plants. They feed on juices and gain strength. At the imago stage, the moth lives from several days to 20 days. During this time, it either does not eat anything or feeds on plant nectar, juices of berries, and fruits.

Interesting!

In northern latitudes, the larva does not have time to go through the full development cycle in one summer; it remains to winter in this form and continues to develop with the onset of warmer weather. Northern species are able to withstand frosts below -70 degrees Celsius. In Greenland and Canada, the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly lasts 7-14 years.

Finally, the larva forms a cocoon from independently produced threads and turns into a pupa. It clings to the tree and leaves with its paws and freezes. The most mysterious phenomenon begins - the transformation into a moth.

Conversion process

How long it takes for a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly while in a cocoon depends on climatic conditions and the type of insect. From a few days to 14 years. Moths in our area appear on average after 15 days.

What is the name of the process of transformation of a caterpillar - metamorphosis. More precisely, holometamorphosis, since some parts of the larva remain. In this case - paws. Experts understand this term as a complete degeneration of forms. Just as a plastic bottle is melted, a glass is then made.

In a cocoon that appears completely motionless, complex processes take place inside. The body splits and turns into a liquid mass with imaginal discs. To make it clearer, these are similar to stem cells, and any organs or tissues can be formed from them.

Upon completion of the process of transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, the formed insect secretes a special secretion, which allows the walls of the cocoon to be split. Initially the head is shown, then the torso, legs. The newborn insect sits motionless for several minutes, waiting for its wings to dry. Then he straightens them and begins to search for the opposite sex for mating.

Amazing creatures

Not always similar, the color does not at all match the coloring of the future moth. Some larvae have similar features - spots, streaks of identical color. Only specialists and obvious fans of these insects can determine from which caterpillars and which butterflies emerge.

Butterfly caterpillars, photos and names are presented below.

• One of the most beautiful butterflies in our area is. The larva of this beauty is black in color with spines all over its body. The change in appearance is dramatic.
• Other .
• Amazing creation of the bromea. The caterpillar looks like a stick, and the butterfly has a very interesting woody color
• Green caterpillar with multi-colored pimples - cecropia.
• The black swallowtail has a simply irresistible color in green and blue tones. But there are also yellow dots on the caterpillar’s ​​body.
• Dalcerida. It is not clear from the outside whether the larva will produce an insect or an animal. The appearance of the moth is no less unusual.
• The blue morpho is another creature that captivates with its appearance.
• - a butterfly well known in our area.
• The butterfly that is used to produce natural silk is. She leads a sedentary lifestyle and practically does not use her wings for their intended purpose, despite the fact that their span reaches 60 mm. The larva forms a cocoon of silk threads up to 1500 m long.

Do caterpillars that manage to survive to the pupation stage always turn into moths - yes. Transformation always happens. However, in nature there are other insects whose larvae are similar to caterpillars, but they are called worms. At the end of the development process, they are destined to turn into beetles, bees, flies, and wasps. Sawflies are very similar to the larvae of butterflies; they are called false caterpillars.

People never cease to admire some types of butterflies; they keep them in the house, creating favorable living conditions for them.

Perhaps there are no creatures in the world more beautiful than butterflies. The bright colors and unusual patterns on the wings have delighted people for many centuries. In addition, these insects go through an interesting life cycle. Let's consider how butterflies are born?

Butterfly breeding

The shape and color of the wings are of great importance when breeding butterflies. Some species are sexually dimorphic: males and females differ in appearance, which makes it easier for lepidopterans to find a partner. Other species use pheromones to attract mates. Depending on the species, either males or females can attract a partner in this way. The mating dance is also characteristic of butterflies.

Mating occurs on plant leaves or the ground. It can last from 20 minutes to several hours. By fertilizing a female, the male not only transfers his seed, but also components that are useful during pregnancy. Some species have an interesting feature: after fertilization, a chitinous appendage appears on the female’s abdomen, which eliminates the possibility of repeated mating.

The mating process of the heliconid charitonia is interesting. The female begins to emit pheromones several hours before emerging from the pupa. Males flock to her and begin to fight with each other. The winning male fertilizes the pouch as it emerges from the pupa.

After fertilization, the female lays eggs. This is how butterflies are born. In the tropics, some species can produce up to three generations in one year.

Caterpillar

In most cases, butterflies lay eggs on specially selected plants. The small caterpillar hatches from the egg and first eats its shell. Afterwards, it begins to feed on the plant on which it is located. If a butterfly lays eggs on the wrong plant, the caterpillar may refuse to eat and look for more suitable food. At this stage of development, the caterpillar stores nutrients that will serve it for the rest of its life.

The caterpillar eats a lot and grows greatly in size in a short time. The skin of a caterpillar is not elastic, so in order to grow, it molts: it sheds its old skin, which has become narrow. To do this, the caterpillar is attached to the plant with a silk thread. The old skin bursts and the larva crawls out. It takes a little time for the new leather to become strong enough. Afterwards the caterpillar begins to eat again.

On average, a caterpillar molts five times before pupating. Before a butterfly emerges from a caterpillar, its body must undergo an astonishing metamorphosis. When the time comes, the insect is attached to a branch or leaf of a plant with a silk thread. She can hold onto the thread with her hind paws or wrap herself around it crosswise.

doll

To find out how butterflies are born, it is worth considering the processes that occur inside the pupa. The pupa is motionless and cannot escape from a predator, therefore this is the most defenseless stage in the life of a butterfly. That is why the dolls have such a variety of shapes and colors. They camouflage themselves with foliage and greenery. Some butterflies (such as silkworms) spin protective cocoons that provide additional protection.

With the help of the juice with which the caterpillar digests food, it liquefies its own body. The cells that are formed as a result of this process are called imaginal. They are able to change properties depending on the organ they are to become.

In most cases, the complete transformation from caterpillar to butterfly takes approximately two weeks. There are species in which this process can last for several years. The rate of development of the butterfly in the pupa depends on the external temperature and humidity. Some butterflies pupate before winter to survive the cold.

Butterfly

How are butterflies born? Cocoon-weaving butterflies can make their way out of the threads to get out. Sometimes they secrete a special liquid that liquefies the silk threads. An ordinary pupa simply cracks and a butterfly emerges from it. Immediately after emerging, the insect's wings are wrinkled and tender. To straighten them, the butterfly looks for a special place. It hangs on a leaf or branch and hangs its wings. Afterwards, the butterfly begins to fill them with lymph, due to which they straighten out. If the butterfly does not have time to quickly get out of the cocoon, or it has nowhere to spread its wings, they will soon dry out, and such an insect will no longer be able to fly.

Usually butterflies emerge from their chrysalis in the early morning when the humidity is high. It may take several hours for the wings to become stronger. Afterwards she is already able to fly. The butterfly takes off and begins searching for a partner to mate with.

Thus, we looked at how butterflies are born. Their life cycle amazes the minds with its complexity and unusualness. After emerging from the pupae, butterflies do not live long. They delight the human eye with their beauty for only a few days, and then they die.

The life cycle of butterflies consists of four phases: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult insect (imago). Depending on the species and climatic conditions, either one or several generations of butterflies can develop during the year. The development period of some species is two years or more.

Types of butterfly eggs

Butterfly eggs come in various shapes - round, flattened, oval, spindle-shaped, smooth or with a cellular surface, covered with spines or ribs. The color of the eggs is also different, most often whitish, light green or yellow, in addition, brownish, brownish-violet, reddish. The eggs of many species change color as they develop.

The manner in which eggs are laid may differ among different species of butterflies. Eggs can be laid one at a time or several at a time, or in large groups, up to several hundred in one clutch. Eggs can be laid on leaves, stems, flowers, fruits of plants, in cracks in tree bark, on soil, lichens, and on dry plant debris. After laying, females of some species cover their eggs with hairs from their abdomen.

How long does the egg stage of a butterfly last?

The egg stage in different species can last from several days in the warm season to many months if the eggs overwinter. As the egg develops, a caterpillar forms inside it, which then gnaws through the shell and comes out. In some species, the formed caterpillar overwinters inside the egg and emerges only in the spring. Caterpillars of many species eat the shell of their eggs immediately after emerging.

The body of caterpillars consists of thirteen segments, of which three are thoracic and ten are abdominal. The thoracic segments bear a pair of jointed legs; the abdominal segments usually have five pairs of false legs; some types of abdominal legs have two or three pairs, or they are underdeveloped. The appearance of caterpillars is very diverse and often differs even among closely related species.

Many are brightly and variegatedly colored, some have outgrowths in the form of horns, spikes, and bumps. The surface of the body is smooth with sparse scales or covered with dense hairs, warts, and spines. Body proportions are also different: some caterpillars are short and thick, others are thin and long.

What do caterpillars eat?

Caterpillars of most butterfly species feed on green parts of plants - leaves, flowers, unripe fruits. Some develop inside branches and trunks, feed on wood, on lichens and dead parts of plants, on animal remains such as wool, down, feathers, and also on wax.

Some species are predatory, feeding on ant larvae and scale insects.

How long does the caterpillar stage last?

The caterpillar stage can last from several weeks to several years, depending on the species and development conditions. As the caterpillars grow, they molt several times, shedding their old covers; some species, after molting, eat their previous shell. At the end of its development, the caterpillar molts again and turns into a pupa.

Transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly - pupal stage

Pupation is the most vulnerable process in the butterfly's development cycle, and most caterpillars prepare carefully for it. The pupal stage in different species can last from several days to several years. A long pause (stop in development) of pupae is an adaptation that allows the species to survive unfavorable years. If in the first year unsuitable conditions arise and the butterflies emerging from the pupae die, the population is replenished by previously diapausing pupae that emerge the next year.

The butterfly formed inside the pupal shell has very short, soft wings. When emerging from the pupa, it needs to climb onto some vertical surface in order to hang its wings, which will give them the opportunity to straighten. After which the wings gradually harden, and during this time the butterfly sits motionless.

The butterfly's body consists of three sections - the head, thorax and abdomen, which contains internal organs.

The head bears antennae, palps, complex compound eyes and mouthparts. The vast majority of butterflies have mouthparts of the sucking type and are a thin long tube-proboscis, which is curled into a spiral at rest. Many butterflies have underdeveloped mouthparts and are thus unable to feed, subsisting on energy reserves accumulated during the caterpillar stage.

The antennae of butterflies are an organ of smell and come in various shapes - filamentous, club-shaped, feathery, comb-shaped and others. The sense of smell of some butterflies is very developed; males of such species are able to detect the scent of a female at a considerable distance.

The chest of butterflies bears three pairs of jointed legs and two pairs of wings, while the females of some species have underdeveloped wings or are completely wingless, and in some species they are also legless. The pattern on the wings of butterflies is formed by the scales covering them, hence the scientific name of the order - Lepidoptera.

Types of butterflies

The color of butterfly wings is varied. In some they are beautifully and brightly colored, while in others, on the contrary, they have a modest protective color, allowing them to be invisible on flowers and herbs, tree bark, stones, and lichens. Many species are characterized by sexual dimorphism, that is, a pronounced external difference between male and female in color, shape and size of wings, as well as in the structure of the antennae. Occasionally there are individual, atypically colored individuals called aberrants.

Gynandromorph butterflies, that is, individuals that combine the characteristics of a male and a female, are extremely rare. Gynandromorphs of species that are characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism look very unusual. In this case, on one side of the butterfly’s body there are wings with the color of the male, and on the other - with the color of the female.

Most butterflies are active at dusk and at night, with a much smaller number of species active during the day. However, it is the diurnal butterflies that are the most visible, and, as a result, the best studied. Many butterflies are good flyers; some species are characterized by regular migrations, which often leads to their wide distribution. Others, on the contrary, inhabit only small geographical regions; such species are called endemic.

Butterfly development - video

Butterflies are insects with the so-called full cycle of transformations.

Between the larval (caterpillar) stage and the adult (butterfly) stage there is an intermediate pupal stage. And the whole development can be represented like this: egg - caterpillar - pupa - butterfly.
Most day and night butterflies produce one generation per year, with adult butterflies only found for a few weeks at certain times of the year and then disappearing again until the following year. The offspring left by butterflies overwinter in the egg, caterpillar or pupa stage, depending on the type of butterfly. Some butterflies - the buckthorn, the day peacock's eye and others - overwinter in torpor at the imaginal stage. Adults of these species are found throughout the year.
Many butterfly species produce two generations per year. In this case, adult insects appear in late spring and again in summer. Caterpillars that emerge from eggs laid in the spring grow quickly, but caterpillars that emerge in the summer may not develop into butterflies until nine months later.

Butterflies that produce one generation per year in the northern regions, in the south can lay eggs two or even three times a year. Butterflies living in the mountains usually produce one generation per year. Some butterflies living in cold climates manage to complete development in only two years, the same is typical for caterpillars living in wood and on roots.
When is it dangerous to help? The story of a butterfly...
He decided to observe the transformation process. The cocoon opened, and for several hours in a row this man observed the difficulties the butterfly had to go through in order to get out. She tried to get out through the small hole for quite a long time and suddenly the moment came when it seemed to him that the butterfly had given up and stopped fighting. It looked like she was stuck and completely motionless.
Taking pity on her, the man decided to help her and cut off the cocoon. Thanks to this, the butterfly got out of the cocoon, but its body was swollen like a caterpillar, its wings were small and unopened. The man expected her wings to strengthen and grow and her body to transform, but nothing else happened. The butterfly pitifully dragged its swollen body in a circle, now doomed to do this for the rest of its life.
Man, out of his kindness, did not understand that he had interfered with the natural process of nature. The efforts that the butterfly made were simply necessary for metamorphosis. Making its way through the narrow opening of the cocoon, the liquid from the butterfly's body would pass into the wings, making them large and strong for flight.
By depriving the butterfly of its struggle, man doomed it to a miserable existence and deprived it of a wonderful future.
Likewise, people become strong and successful and transform into a better image only when they go through certain difficulties and put in a lot of effort.

The life cycle of butterflies consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Butterflies are insects with the so-called full cycle of transformations, since the larva is completely different from the adult. The transition from one stage to another, or transformation, is called metamorphosis.

Testicles- This is the first phase of insect development. The testicles must be kept safe and sound, so butterflies take care of this, some lay them in the soil, others fill the testicles with gland secretions, which harden in the air - a capsule is obtained, the capsules are usually disguised to match the color of the surface. Another method is that insects cover the testicles with hairs or scales that are scraped from the abdomen. The female lays eggs in batches that can contain several eggs or can reach hundreds of eggs. Depending on the species, they are arranged in layers, in a line or in a ring around the shoot of the plant on which the caterpillars will feed. In some species, the female disperses the eggs in flight. The development of the embryo depends on climatic conditions and can last from several days to several months, especially when the insect overwinters at the egg stage.

Emerging from the testicles larvae - caterpillars. They actively feed, grow and accumulate substances for the next transformations. The caterpillar has three pairs of segmented legs armed with claws, and several (up to 5 pairs) false legs equipped with bunches of claws, which allows it to hold well on a support. Caterpillars of daytime butterflies are very diverse in color and external structure. They have a gnawing mouthpart and, for the most part, feed on the leaves of various plants. Caterpillars grow quickly. Gradually, the outer covers (cuticles) of the larva become too tight for it, and they need to be replaced. Molting occurs, which is preceded by a period of growth. Most larvae have 5 of them, or even more if the larva overwinters. Therefore, the lifespan of a larva can reach from several weeks to several months, and for woodworms up to 2-3 years.

At the last moult, the caterpillar turns into doll. The coloring and body shape of butterfly pupae are no less varied than those of caterpillars. Butterfly pupae do not feed or move; they are usually attached to branches, leaves, various objects (the so-called “belted” and “hanging” pupae), or lie freely on the soil - among fallen leaves and in the soil litter. The duration of the pupal stage can vary from several weeks (in some tropical species) to nine months or more (in temperate climates with long winters). During this period, organs and tissues change and acquire features characteristic of adults, wings and muscles are formed.

A butterfly emerges from the pupa. Adult butterfly (imago) quickly reaches sexual maturity and is ready to reproduce within a few days. Depending on how quickly the butterfly fulfills this main purpose, it lives from several days to several weeks. The exception is wintering butterflies, which can live more than 10 months.

Butterflies are lepidoptera, belonging to insects that have a full cycle of transformation. Their distinctive feature from other representatives of the order is the presence of chitinous scales on the hind and fore wings. These elements have the finest optical components, which, when interacting with ultraviolet light, make it possible to see a range of colors that the human eye cannot perceive.

To find out how a butterfly develops, you first need to understand what the cycle with complete transformation includes. This process contains the following stages:

• egg stage;
• caterpillar (larval) stage;
• pupal stage;
• stage of an adult insect (imago).

Just as butterflies develop, other representatives of lepidoptera - moths and moths - also turn into adults.

Butterfly mating

So, to understand how a butterfly develops, you need to start with the main stage of the life cycle - mating. Important factors in reproduction are the shape of the wings and their color, as well as courtship options - dancing and mating flights. Males can detect a female more than one kilometer away. Pheromones, as well as odorous scales located on the legs or wings, allow partners to find each other.

Mating of these insects occurs on plants or on the ground for from 20-25 minutes to several hours. All this time the individuals remain motionless. By mating, the female gets the opportunity to receive sperm, microelements and proteins from the male. It is the last two components that play a large role in the formation and laying of eggs. In some species of butterflies, after mating, females develop an appendage of chitin on their abdomen, which is formed by the male at the end of the process. It is necessary in order to exclude the possibility of repeated fertilization with another male.

Egg stage

The first thing in a butterfly is an egg. In butterflies they have a varied shape and a fairly hard shell. They are angular, round, spherical. Their outer surface is embossed with symmetrical tubercles and depressions. The color scheme ranges from white to green, and sometimes there is a colored pattern on the outer surface.

Typically, females can lay more than 1,000 eggs in one clutch. Depending on the species of these insects, they can leave them either in a group of up to 10 pieces, or individually. The egg stage lasts from 8 to 15 days.

Caterpillar stage

The butterfly larva is a worm-like caterpillar. She has a pronounced gnawing mouthparts. The caterpillar has a special secretion that hardens in air and forms a silk thread. The larvae are mainly phytophagous, that is, their food is flowers, leaves and fruits of plants.

There are also types of caterpillars that eat the larvae of ants, aphids and mealybugs. These species are predators. On the body of the caterpillar there are 10 abdominal segments with five pairs of thick legs and 3 thoracic segments with three pairs of jointed legs. The body has smooth skin with spikes, warts and hairs. Caterpillars usually live on the ground, trees, and bushes, but some of them, such as broad-winged moths, can live underwater. They can be divided into two large groups:

• caterpillars prone to a free lifestyle;
• caterpillars prone to a hidden lifestyle.

The latter construct portable cases from silky thread in which they live. They carry it on themselves and hide in it. Also, caterpillars build themselves a cigar-shaped cover from leaves in the form of a shelter, having previously secured it with silk thread. The development cycle of a butterfly at this stage can last several years. Caterpillars in northern latitudes may enter a state of diapause until next summer. For example, the life cycle of the larvae of the seaweed, which lives in Greenland, can last up to 14 years.

Pupa stage

Butterflies have sedentary pupae. The main type characteristic of Lepidoptera is glued. In some families, such as cocoon moths, the pupa lives inside a cocoon that was woven by a caterpillar. The shape is cylindrical, sometimes round. - from light colors to dark ones with the presence of stripes and inclusions. Usually the pupa is located inside glued leaves on the trunks and flowers of plants with the rudiments of the abdomen, wings, legs and proboscis already clearly visible. At this stage of development there is no nutrition.

insect stage

The adult, fully formed insect emerging from the pupa is called an “imago.” At this stage of butterfly development, the magical metamorphosis ends. The pupa acquires an oily-transparent shell approximately a day before the insect emerges from it. Then the imago crawls out, tearing the hard covers. Generally, females come out later than males. When they harden, straighten out, and the final color appears on them, then the insect will take off. The adult is sexually mature and can reproduce. This sequence of butterfly development allows it to respond to changes occurring in nature. For example, on the improvement or deterioration of climatic conditions, amount of precipitation, temperature conditions.

So, having figured out how a butterfly develops, we have solved another mystery in nature - how the magical transformation from an unsightly green caterpillar into a beautiful flying insect actually became possible.

Butterflies are insects with complete metamorphosis, or holometamorphosis. Their life cycle includes four phases:

Larva (caterpillar)

Adult insect (imago)

Butterfly larvae are called caterpillars. The caterpillar's body consists of a head, 3 thoracic and 10 abdominal rings. In addition to three pairs of thoracic legs, caterpillars also have so-called “false” or “abdominal” legs, of which there are up to 5 pairs. Unlike adult Lepidoptera, their caterpillars always have a gnawing mouthpart. It is at this stage that growth and accumulation of nutrients occur for the entire life of the insect. As soon as it is born, the caterpillar begins to feed - it eats the shell of the egg, then takes on the leaves of the plant on which it sits. But if the caterpillar did not happen to find itself on the desired plant, then it will not immediately get accustomed to another species - it will starve, rejecting food. Because the caterpillar consumes large amounts of food in a short time, it grows quickly. During the process of growth, the caterpillar molts - sheds its skin; This is due to the fact that it is inelastic and cannot stretch as the abdomen grows. Most caterpillars molt 4-5 times. After the last moult, the caterpillar turns into a pupa.

A specific physiological feature of caterpillars is the presence of a pair of tubular spinning, or silk-secreting, glands that open through a common canal on the lower lip. These are modified salivary glands in which the main function of salivation is replaced by the production of silk. The secretions of these glands quickly harden in the air, forming a silk thread, with the help of which some caterpillars fasten leaves rolled into a tube, others hang in the air, descending from a branch, and others surround themselves and the branches on which they sit with a web. Finally, in caterpillars, silk thread is used to construct a cocoon within which pupation occurs.

According to their lifestyle, caterpillars can be divided into two groups: 1) caterpillars leading a free lifestyle, which live more or less openly on plants; 2) caterpillars leading a hidden lifestyle. Free-living caterpillars live on both herbaceous and woody plants, feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits. The hidden lifestyle involves living in portable covers that the caterpillars weave from silky threads. Moving around the plant, the caterpillars carry a cover on themselves, hiding in it in case of danger. This is what caterpillars of bagworm butterflies do, for example.

Leafworms occupy an intermediate position between these two biological groups. This is the name given to caterpillars that build shelters from leaves, rolling them up and fastening the rolled parts with a silky thread. When constructing such a shelter, one or more leaves are used. Many caterpillars are characterized by rolling up a leaf into a cigar-shaped tube. Caterpillars living in “societies” usually make special, sometimes complex nests, weaving branches, leaves and other parts of plants into a web. Large web nests are formed by caterpillars of the apple ermine moth (Hyponomeuta malinellus), which are dangerous pests of gardens and forests. Caterpillars of marching silkworms (family Eupterotidae) live in large groups in spider web nests and are distinguished by their peculiar behavior: in search of food, they go “hiking” in orderly rows, following each other in single file. This is the behavior, for example, of the caterpillars of the oak silkworm (Thaumetopoea processionea), which is occasionally found in the forests of Southwestern Ukraine.

The caterpillars, hatched from eggs in May, stay in groups in a spider's nest. When the leaves on a tree are already heavily eaten, they descend from it and crawl along the ground in search of food, always in a certain order: one caterpillar crawls in front, followed by another, touching it with its hairs. In the middle of the column, the number of caterpillars in the row increases, first 2, then 3-4 caterpillars crawling side by side. Towards the end the column narrows again. In July - early August, pupation occurs right there in the nest, with each caterpillar weaving an oval cocoon for itself. After two to three weeks the butterflies fly out.

All caterpillars living inside various plant organs lead a hidden lifestyle. These include miners, codling moths, borers and gall formers. Miners are caterpillars that live inside leaves and their petioles and make internal passages - mines - inside chlorophyll-bearing tissues. Some miners do not eat away the entire contents of the leaf, but are limited to certain areas.

When leafminer caterpillars live in groups inside a leaf, so-called swollen mines can occur. Thus, the caterpillars of the lilac moth (Caloptilia syringella), which belongs to a special family of moths (Gracillariidae), initially live several together in one common mine, which has the shape of a wide spot that can occupy most of the leaf. These mines are greatly swollen from gases accumulating in them. The epidermis covering the mine quickly turns yellow. Later, the caterpillars emerge from their mines and, skeletonizing the leaves, twist them into tubes. Before pupation they go into the ground.

The life of Lepidoptera, whose caterpillars develop in an aquatic environment, is very peculiar. In mid-summer, along the banks of reservoirs, the surface of which is covered with leaves of white lilies and yellow water lilies, you can often find a small butterfly with beautiful yellowish wings, the complex pattern of which consists of strongly curved brown lines and irregularly shaped whitish spots located between them. This is the water lily or marsh moth (Hydrocampa nymphaeata). She lays eggs on the leaves of various aquatic plants, on their underside. The greenish larvae hatching from eggs first mine plant tissue. At this time, their spiracles are greatly reduced, so breathing occurs through the surface of the skin. After molting, the caterpillar leaves a mine and builds a special cover from cut out pieces of pondweed and water lilies, while breathing remains the same. The caterpillar spends the winter in this cover, and in the spring it leaves it and builds a new cover. To do this, she uses her jaws to gnaw out two oval or round pieces from the leaf, which she fastens on the sides with a web. Such a case is always filled with air; At this stage, the caterpillar has fully developed stigmata and trachea, and it now breathes atmospheric air. Crawling over aquatic plants, the caterpillar carries the case with it in the same way as caddisflies do. It feeds by scraping the skin and pulp from the leaves of aquatic plants with its jaws. Pupation occurs in the sheath.

The shape and color of their body are closely related to the way of life of caterpillars. Caterpillars leading an open lifestyle often have a cryptic coloration that harmonizes well with the surrounding background. The effectiveness of protective painting can be increased due to the characteristics of the pattern. Thus, hawkmoth caterpillars have oblique stripes running across a general green or gray background, which divide the body into segments, making it even less conspicuous. The protective coloring, combined with the characteristic shape, often leads to a protective resemblance to the parts of the plants on which the caterpillar lives. In moths, for example, the caterpillars look like dry twigs. Along with cryptic coloring, caterpillars leading an open lifestyle also have bright display coloring, indicating their inedibility.

Some caterpillars take a threatening pose when in danger. These include the caterpillar of the great harpy (Cerura vinula), which has a very peculiar shape: it has a large flat head, the body, wide in the front, tapers strongly towards the rear end, at the top of which there is a “fork” consisting of two strongly odorous threads. As soon as the caterpillar is disturbed, it immediately assumes a threatening pose, lifting up the front part of its body and the tip of its abdomen with a “fork.”

The pupa of Lepidoptera has an ovoid elongated shape, with a pointed posterior end. Its dense outer covering forms a hard shell; all appendages and limbs are fused to the body, as a result of which the surface of the pupa becomes solid; the legs and wings cannot be separated from the body without violating the integrity of the integument. Such a pupa is called a covered pupa. She cannot move, but she retains some mobility in the last segments of her abdomen.

In the life cycle of insects, the pupa is the most vulnerable stage. Therefore, it is important to find a safe place for pupation. The pupae that attach to plants are almost impossible to distinguish from leaves and branches.

The pupae of daytime butterflies are very bizarre: usually angular, often with a metallic sheen, without a cocoon. They are attached to various objects, and either hang head down (hanging pupa), or are girded with a thread, and then their head is turned upward (belted pupa). In many Lepidoptera, caterpillars weave a silky cocoon before pupation, in which the development of the pupa occurs.

The pupal stage lasts several days, in some species it lasts up to three years. The duration of the pupal stage depends largely on external conditions - temperature and humidity.

When the pupa bursts, a butterfly emerges. Having been born, the first thing she does is look for a place where she can freely spread her wings. The butterfly then dries them for several hours. Gradually the wings lose elasticity and become stronger. Now you can make your first flight.

Most butterflies emerge from their pupae in the early morning, when it is not yet hot and the air is humid with dew. Straightening and drying your wings at this time is much better than at noon when the sun is scorching.

When the butterfly is ready to fly, it rushes out in search of a partner. After mating, the female lays eggs and the life cycle repeats from the beginning.