Butterflies are known as "flying flowers", and colorful butterflies make our lives richer and more colorful. In the butterfly world, there are some butterflies with the word "Zhonghua" in their names, and their Latin scientific names are either "chinensis" or "sinica", which means "China". Like other flora and fauna named after "Zhonghua", most of them are endemic to China or were first discovered in China. Some of these species are endangered and have a precarious fate that needs to be understood and protected. As things stand, research on many butterflies is limited, if a butterfly is extinct before it is discovered or not discovered.
The endangered Chinese tiger butterfly
National second-level protected animals. Medium in size, the stripes on the wings are black and yellow, resembling tiger skin, hence the name Tiger Butterfly. There are four species of tiger butterflies, namely tiger butterflies, Chinese tiger butterflies, Japanese tiger butterflies and Taibai tiger butterflies. These 4 species of tiger butterflies are all annual generations, occur in early spring, lay eggs at the tail, complete the larval stage in the spring, pupate before the arrival of summer, and then pupate through the three seasons of summer, autumn and winter. Since the pupal period has no defense capabilities, the long pupal stage faces various dangers, so the proportion of adult insects that can be successfully feathered in the following year is very low, which makes the number of all species of the genus tiger and phoenix in nature itself small. Species of the genus Tiger and Pheasant are good indicators of the natural ecological environment and are only distributed in well-protected natural forests. When primitive natural forests are destroyed, the first to bear the brunt of the genus Tiger and Pheasant is the genus.
As a national second-level protected animal, the Chinese tiger butterfly has always attracted the attention of the state and scientists, and it is said that Mr. Li Chuanlong, an older generation of butterfly experts, broke his leg in order to pursue the tiger butterfly in Qinling, Shaanxi. After years of unremitting efforts by generations of scientists, the distribution, number and habits of several species of tiger butterflies are now understood. The Chinese tiger butterfly is a special animal of China, there are 2 subspecies, the Huashan subspecies is only distributed in Shaanxi, there are roughly three populations: The Huashan population, distributed in Huayin and its surrounding areas; the Ningshan population, distributed in Ningshan, Zaoshui; the Zhouzhi population, distributed in the middle and low altitude of the Taibai Mountains, mainly Zhou solstice. The huashan subspecies are few in number and increasingly endangered, and are now rare in the wild. The main reason for the endangerment of the Huashan subspecies is not only ecological destruction, but also the wanton mining of its host plants. The host plant of the Huashan subspecies in the Qinling Mountains is the fine spices of the Aristolochiaceae family, and the mountain people dig up wild spices as spices for cooking meat, resulting in a large reduction in wild spices, which makes the original small number of Chinese tiger butterflies even worse, and is a step closer to the point of endangerment. Studies have shown that aristolochic acid contains aristolochic acid, which can cause loss of kidney function, and it is hoped that through publicity, this behavior that is not only unhealthy, but also affects the survival of the Huashan subspecies can be changed as soon as possible.
The Chinese eye butterfly that travels through the grass
There are about 100 species of butterflies in the world, and there are at least 60 species in China. Generally small and medium-sized, the wings are gray-black, in addition to the more eye-catching, somewhat different eye spots, the reverse side has gray-white fine ripples, the appearance is not much different, and it is difficult to distinguish between species. Coupled with seasonal and individual variations, the distinction between similar species is not easy for most experts. The larvae of this type of butterfly basically feed on grasses, and the larvae have an elongated body and generally have 2 sharp horns. Adult insects like to shuttle through the grass, often moving on the side of the mountain road, and will also visit the grass to visit flowers. Because this type of butterfly is not prominent enough, not conspicuous, and not an important agricultural and forestry beneficial insect or pest, its research is very limited. The Chinese butterfly is only a very common member of the butterfly species, small in size, in Jilin, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou and other places have collection records. Sufficient research is still needed on the Chinese eye butterfly.
Rare Chinese Eye Butterfly (no picture)
Rare eye butterfly is a small eye butterfly, which is mostly found in the north of China. There are about 40 species in the world, and there are about 13 species in China. The rare eye butterfly generally likes to fly on the grass, the flight speed is not fast, but it has a jumping and a slightly fluttering flying posture. The Chinese Rare Eye Butterfly is a mysterious butterfly that I have only seen in literature. This is a small eye butterfly, the wings are yellow-brown, the front of the forewing has eye spots, the front and back of the wings in addition to the eye spots, there are white markings, the literature records that the pattern specimen was collected from the western part of Gansu near Xinjiang, but the specific location of the pattern specimen in the original published paper is unknown, whether it is Qilian Mountain, or Jinta, I have not been clear. In short, the Chinese rare eye butterfly is a butterfly with a narrow distribution area and a small number, and its mystery has not yet been unveiled.
Chinese nettle butterfly on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Nettle butterflies, as the name suggests, are butterflies in which the larvae host nettle. Nettle, also known as hemp, is a famous stinging grass, if people accidentally touch, contact with the skin parts of nettle will be like fire and fire like pain and itch. But for nettle butterflies, nettle should be a very tempting delicacy. There are about 5 species in the genus Butterfly and 4 species in China. Nettle butterflies are distributed in many areas in the north, and there is a certain number, which is not rare. The Tibetan butterfly is distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is also a common species in the region. Originally a subspecies of the Nexus nettle butterfly, the Chinese butterfly is now an independent species distributed in northwestern Yunnan, western Sichuan, and southeastern Tibet on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Adults are medium in size and fly quickly. The larvae live in groups, black pressed on the host plant, each ugly face, covered with thorns, has a considerable visual impact effect.
Likes to chase the stinky Chinese butterfly
There is only one species of butterfly, which is endemic to China. Medium-sized butterfly, wings dark brown, markings yellowish brown. It is distributed in Beijing, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Guangdong and other places. In Qinling, Shaanxi, it is more common, adult insects appear from June to July, and the larvae are based on willow trees, one generation per year. During the adult stage, walking on the forest road of the Qinling Mountains, it is often seen that the Chinese yellow butterfly butterfly and other butterfly butterfly eyes crawl on the feces, sucking with taste, and sometimes so unsentimental that it can be caught with bare hands. These butterflies, which like to chase odors, may suck nutrients such as water or minerals from their feces. These butterflies also sometimes stay on moist ground and cliffs to absorb moisture and minerals, but rarely visit flowers.
The Chinese cloud gray butterfly that likes to eat meat
There are about 23 species in the genus, mainly distributed in the Eastern Ocean and Australia, and 6 species in China, which are found throughout the south. Chinese cloud gray butterfly is medium in size, the front of the wing is dark brown, there are often 1 to 2 pale markings below the sub-outer margin of the forewing, the base of the M3 vein at the middle end of the male butterfly forewing is obviously expanded; the reverse side of the wing is brown, with bands of dark markings, and the dark markings are inlaid with white lines on both sides; it is distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong and other places, and is found in Myanmar, Thailand, northern India, the Malay Peninsula and other places. Larvae carnivorous, predatory aphids, etc., 1 year old. Adults inhabit natural forests, mostly in places where aphids congregate, fly slowly, visit flowers with jumping sensations, and smoke aphid secretions.
Purple sparkling Chinese flower gray butterfly
There are about 15 species in the genus, and 6 species in China, which are found in the southern provinces. The Chinese flower gray butterfly is a large and medium-sized gray butterfly, the male butterfly has purple wings on the front, metallic luster, black edges, rounded wings, and short tail protrusions; there are 1 large and 1 small 2 pale color spots in the interior of the forewings, and a column of irregular white spots arranged in an arc on the sub-outer edge; the reverse side of the hindwing has wavy patterns and a dark base. It is found in the provinces south of the Yangtze River, but also in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and other places. Adults are more common in May to August. For the Chinese flower gray butterfly, there are still too many unknowns that need to be further studied.
Prefers flocks of Chinese sawdust butterflies
There are 3 species of saw ash butterflies, distributed in the Eastern Ocean region, all of which are found in China, and all of them are small gray butterflies. The male wing of the Chinese saw gray butterfly has a black-brown front, a broad black edge on the forewings, a dark purple for most of the forewings and the front half of the hindwings; a yellowish brown or grayish-brown on the reverse of the wings, with multiple dark spots; in Shaanxi, adults gather in groups next to streams and other wet places. In Qinling, Shaanxi, groups of small fly-like gray butterflies seen on the Forest Edge Trail every April are basically Chinese sawdust butterflies, and by May, the number of clusters has decreased significantly, and if you look closely, they are no longer Chinese sawdust butterflies, but replaced by sawdust butterflies that are very similar to Chinese sawdust butterflies.
A Chinese butterfly that is good at flying
There are about 7 species in the genus, distributed in the Eastern Region, and there are 4 species in China, all of which are medium-sized butterflies. The Chinese Butterfly wing is black brown, with several small white spots near the apex of the forewing, and several larger white spots in the middle domain extend to the posterior margin; there is a distinct white banded spot in the middle of the hindwing, and there is a column of small black spots on the outside; the front and back of the wings are the same, but the black spots on the back of the hindwings are more obvious; in Shaanxi, it is found in the low-altitude areas of southern Shaanxi, more than 1 generation, and the first generation of adult insects appears in April, and the number is not much. Adults have a sense of territory, and I have observed that in the open meadow on a river beach, a Chinese butterfly flies around this grass, suspected of patrolling, can last a long time, if other butterflies of similar size fly in, they will immediately drive them away. Tired of flying, they stayed on the protruding grass tips, monitoring the territory, and as soon as they saw other butterflies, they immediately flew up to drive away
Chinese Ilon butterfly like a black elf
There are about 7 species in the genus Ilon, distributed in the Eastern Ocean region, and there are 4 species in China, with a small and medium-sized body size. The Chinese Yilong butterfly is a new species published by domestic scholars in 1997, with black-brown wings, no markings, and yellow-brown scales scattered on the reverse. Distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou and other places, I have occasionally seen in the forest clearings or forest edges of Zhenping, Langao and other counties in Shaanxi Province, which are close to Chongqing, giving people the feeling of suddenly floating in front of their eyes, and then quickly burrowing into the forest before they can see clearly, as if black elves come and go without a trace. The Chinese Yilong butterfly was not known until 1997, which is enough to show that its number is rare, its whereabouts are mysterious, and the current understanding of it is very limited, and it is necessary to strengthen its research.
The reputation is not very good in the China Valley Butterfly
Valley butterfly, as the name suggests, the larvae harm a variety of cereals, and its close relatives of the rice butterfly is a well-known agricultural pest, it is easy to think of the valley butterfly is also an important agricultural pest, indeed, the host plants of the valley butterfly include rice, sorghum, corn and other grass crops, but there are also wild grass weeds such as miscanthus, wolf's tail, lemongrass, reeds, etc., and there are no reports of serious disasters to crops. There are 12 species of gulong butterfly recorded all over the world, widely distributed around the world, 8 species recorded in China, and all over the north and south. The Zhonghua Valley Butterfly is small, with dark brown wings and 8 translucent white spots on the forewings arranged in a semi-ring. Hermaphroditic, males have a linear sexual target below the forewing medial chamber, while females do not. 4 to 5 generations a year, shaanxi distribution. At present, the Zhonghua Valley Butterfly does not seem to have any worries about extinction.