Lepidoptera is a very familiar family of insects, with fewer species than beetles, making it the second largest group of insects. Lepidoptera insects are commonly known as "butterflies" and "moths". Because most of their adult insects have bright colors, they are deeply loved by people. Not only that, many lepidoptera insects also have a very important impact on humans, such as the silk secreted by silkworms in the family Of Silkworms is an important raw material for silk products; Some Lepidoptera larvae form "Cordyceps sinensis" after infection with certain fungi, which has become a famous and valuable Chinese herbal medicine at home and abroad; The pine caterpillar genus of the dead leaf moth family will eat coniferous plants such as pine trees in large quantities, which will have a great impact on greening, sand control and other work.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > contemporaneous with dinosaurs</h1>
Lepidoptera insects are not a very old species. Early academics generally believed that Lepidoptera originated no later than the Cretaceous Period, when the oldest Lepidoptera was found preserved in Lebanese amber about 1.3 billion years ago. However, in recent years, Chinese paleoantologist Mr. Ren Dong has found fossils of Lepidoptera insects in the Jurassic Daohugou biota dating back about 1.6 billion years, which infers that the origin of Lepidoptera is no later than the Jurassic. In addition , fossils of Lepidoptera insects have also been found in the White Sacred Period of Burmese amber and Cenozoic strata.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > distribution and feeding habits</h1>
Lepidoptera is so widespread that they are now found all over the world except Antarctica. In terms of habitats, with the exception of a very small number of Lepidoptera insects with aquatic habits, the vast majority live in terrestrial environments. In the terrestrial environment, in addition to the environment of rich vegetation such as rainforests, grasslands, and gardens, dry deserts and cold alpine environments with relatively few plants will also inhabit Lepidoptera insects.
The feeding habits of Lepidoptera are extremely extensive, and almost all of the feeding habits of insects are reflected in Lepidoptera. In addition to most plant-feeding properties, the larvae of the family Parasiticidae parasitize the bodies of insects such as the Cicada family and the Waxhopper family and gradually feed on the host. Some of the larvae of the family Grey Butterfly have a habit of preying on bamboo borers. In addition to plant-feeding and carnivorous nature, species such as the genus Pterophora in the family Butterflyidae have the behavior of feeding on feces. Some species of the family Mothidae will feed on saprophyll leaves, and some species of the Butterfly family will suck the sap of animal carcasses, that is, carrion; Some species of larvae of species such as the Nocturnidae of the family Thyropodidae will feed on fungi, i.e. fungal feeding. Of all the winged insects, one of the most peculiar feeding habits is this insect belonging to the family Ofor moths known as the Great Wax Borer, and it can be guessed by its name that the larvae of this insect eat beeswax and will have a certain destructive effect on the hive.
Large wax borer
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the development of Lepidoptera</h1>
Lepidoptera is a typical completely metamorphosed insect that goes through four stages of egg, larvae, pupae and adult throughout its lifetime. Different species have different spawning and spawning methods, and the amount of eggs laid varies from dozens of upper dry eggs to the highest, and can be produced single, scattered or stacked. Most females lay their eggs on the surface or back of the plants where the larvae feed, while other species lay their eggs in gaps in the bark or in cork tissue. For some species that overwinter with eggs, females cover the eggs with a layer of secretions or scales to facilitate insulation, etc. Most larvae grow at 5 instars, but some species are only 3 or 4 years old, or extended to 6 or 7 years. In addition to its own age, when the larva encounters starvation, it tends to peel the number of times.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > way Lepidoptera defends against enemies</h1>
In nature, many animals feed on lepidopteran larvae, and over time, lepidoptera larvae have evolved a variety of defensive measures. Many Lepidoptera larvae have a body color similar to the color of their habitat and can avoid the sight of predators. Some larvae of the butterfly family will use silk to glue the leaves into a roll, and will hide inside when not feeding, which greatly improves the probability of survival; Larvae of the family Ulmusidae also straighten their bodies when they encounter danger, simulating dead branches; Some of the larvae of the family Rheumatidae mimic guano at a young age, and in the event of danger at an advanced age, they will protrude from the back of the head with a partial orange-red gland, emitting a very pungent odor; The larvae of the butterfly family Pterophoridae will eat poisonous plants and collect toxins in the body, making natural enemies daunted; The larvae of the family Venomidae have a thick layer of soft hairs on their bodies that can resist the infestation of some parasitic insects; The larvae of the family Pterophoridae have sharp, toxinous spines on their surfaces, leaving predators who want to attack them "nowhere to go."
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > pupal stage of Lepidoptera</h1>
Lepidoptera pupae are generally pupae, most pupae are consistent with the surrounding hue, and some pupae have decorative patterns. For example, the butterfly pupae of the family Dipterae not only resemble dead leaves in color, but also have patterns similar to leaf veins and mold spots on the pupae. At the tip of the pupae there is a near-circular imperfection similar to the bite marks of insects. Many moths make a cocoon before pupating and internalize it. For example, the silkworm moth family will use leaves and other materials to make a cocoon, which has both the role of protecting the pupal and is also very hidden. In addition to these difficult to observe pupae, there is another class of pupae that are very bright and bright, such as the pupae of the butterfly family, which usually have a strong metallic luster in addition to their bright color. This is due to the accumulation of toxins in their larvae, which are preserved until the pupal stage, and the bright color can be seen as a warning color.
After pupae, Lepidoptera will feather into adults. Like other insects, the most important task of adults is reproduction. In general, Lepidoptera uses pheromones to attract the opposite sex and begin courtship. During courtship, male and female adults usually take off and dance in the air, a behavior known in entomology as "marriage flying."
Lepidoptera insects, although more abundant and common, also have some extremely rare species that are strictly protected everywhere. In China, the golden-spotted beaked butterfly of the Aeolian family is a beautiful butterfly species that is only distributed in China and is extremely rare, and is currently a national first-class protected animal in China; Distributed in the New Tianshan Mountains, the Tongporo silk butterfly is a national second-class protected animal in China, and the well has been listed in the Convention on the Protection of Animals in the World. Unscrupulous traders who collect and sell these protected butterflies have been punished by law. Therefore, when we see these beautiful insects in the wild, it is best to only use the camera to take the record, not to collect. Protected species are strictly prohibited from being captured and collected by individuals for any reason. Even if you are not protected, try not to catch them, because many lepidopteran insects have a vital influence on the ecological balance, so leave their beauty in the camera negatives or in our mobile phone photo albums.