Butterfly of the bear: features, distribution, photo

Butterfly bear was named after the appearance of the caterpillar, which is covered with thick hairs resembling bear fur. Large fur lumps really look more like animal cubs, rather than insects.

Family Features

All bears have relatively large sizes. They have a fat body. The fore wings are triangular in shape; in most species they are brightly colored. Hind wings are smaller, often have a modest color. A calm or resting butterfly, a bear, folds its wings with a house, hiding their brightness.

An important trait, inherent in the whole family, is poisonousness. The blood of these butterflies has a bitter taste - this is for those who do not understand the signal of variegated wings and still decided to attack. Most of the poisonous creatures look bright, as if warning predators of their own characteristics. To digest such prey is difficult, it can cause irritation in the digestive system or allergies.

The youth is no worse protected. The caterpillar of the butterfly of the bear is not only that it has bitter poisonous blood, so also the hairs release a strong irritant. It should not only be chewed, but even touched. Due to this feature both adult butterflies and caterpillars have practically no natural enemies.

Caterpillar

Before turning into butterflies, the caterpillars have to do a lot of work and fulfill an important task - to eat for future use. Therefore, they are omnivorous and gluttonous. Caterpillars eat shrubby and herbaceous plants, foliage of trees. This harms the plantations.

Before pupation, the caterpillar weaves a loose silky cocoon. In the walls she weaves her own hairs. The chrysalis inside the cocoon is still.

Lifestyle of the butterfly moth

Bear cubs are spread all over the world. Entomologists know about 11 thousand species, representing the family of mare. At least 60 species of these butterflies live in the European part of Russia.

Most of the bears lead a night or evening lifestyle , but there are certain species that are awake during the day, although such are a minority.

It is noteworthy that the bear does not have a mouthpiece at all. Adult mature adults - adults do not eat food.

Dipper lady

In the middle lane, the lady bear is a very common lady. It is large enough, the wingspan reaches 5.5 cm.

These butterflies live in shady and damp places in June and July. They inhabit ravines, river banks, forest glades and clearings. Caterpillars eat leaves of bushes and herbaceous plants: willow, blackberry, strawberry. Pupation occurs in the spring.

Dipper kaya

No less common is the night butterfly bear kaya. Representatives of the species are very beautiful. The wingspan of up to 8 cm makes them one of the largest in our country.

The front wings of the bear are kaiy coffee-brown, with white constrictions. On the rear red wings there are large black-and-blue peas.

Kayi dippers live in late summer. Their black shaggy caterpillars appear in the autumn, they endure the winter, and in the summer they turn into butterflies. At the time of danger, the caterpillars fold into the ring, protecting all their important organs, exposing poisonous hairs to the outside. Their caterpillars are weaving under the driftwood, dumped tree trunks.

American white bear

A beautiful snow-white butterfly with a shaggy head is actually a formidable pest for agriculture and forestry. This species originated from North America in the middle of the last century, fell into Europe, from where it spread through Ukraine, south and west of Russia, penetrated into Turkmenistan and other countries of the Middle East. Experts believe that this could not happen due to natural causes and the butterflies came to the mainland with cargo transported across the Atlantic.

The white moth, as this butterfly is sometimes called, is of medium size, its wingspan does not exceed 3.6 cm. Ecologists and quarantine services take measures to prevent further spread of this pest.

Leopard Bear

This butterfly hovers in the eastern part of the United States. The span of its wings reaches 8 cm, which relates it to the largest representatives of the family.

Bear Hebe

The widespread species of Geba bears is found in the steppe zone. This bear is a rural butterfly, it can be found at night, from May to July.

The wingspan of Geba reaches 5.5 cm. The front wings are light, with dark constrictions. Hind wings of red color, decorated with dark spots.

Gloomy cave butterfly

The Transcaspian gloomy bear is a very unusual butterfly. The name she owes to the unprepossessing appearance, and way of life. This insect spends most of its life on the walls of caves and stalactites growing on them. At night, this butterfly is selected from the shelter and often flies to the tourist parking, attracted by the light of the fires. It is noteworthy that caterpillars and pupae live far from caves, preferring overgrown with wormwood and mixed grass steppe.

This species is still poorly understood. Yes, and other representatives of the family of butterflies of the bear keep a lot of secrets.