After beetles, butterflies and moths are, the next most numerous of all species of animals. They are more studied and – rather better known than other insects because of their very eye-catching shapes, colours and patterns. Most amateur entomologists are primarily lepidopterists. It is true also that there are more butterflies and moths that can more easily be bred or reared at home. The results are very spectacular and thrilling.
Lepidoptera divide into butterflies, moths (known as Macrolepidoptera) and the microlepidoptera. The Micros are generally very small but include very attractive species often with bizarre shapes and extraordinarily long antennae. It is difficult to define a precise difference between each of these three groups without going into excessive detail but a useful difference between butterflies and moths, that has few exceptions, lies in the antennae which in butterflies are clubbed whereas in moths they may be like feathers, fine filaments, pointed at the tip or anything but clubbed.
There are over 100,000 species of lepidoptera and here we can only mention a few of the main families. The greatest number of butterflies, both in species and population density, will be found in hot countries. The most numerous family of butterflies is the Papilionidae which are the Swallowtails. In Britain there is only one, the English Swallowtail which is the largest species, and famous for its adaptation to fenland whereas in other countries it inhabits dry ground. In Europe there are several more species and included in these are the curious round-winged Apollo butterflies which live at high altitudes. Not all Swallowtails have tails but the majority do. The largest butterflies in the world are Papilionidae; these are the Giant Birdwings of the East Indies. Some have unimaginable metallic hues of bright blue, green and shades of yellow and gold. They really do reflect the tropical splendour of one’s imagination. Right across the world, in South America, lives another group of very large and exotic butterflies, the Morphos. They are famous for their incredible reflective blues which are unmatched elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Even the species which are not blue are large and very spectacular. South America has the brightest population of butterflies. Inthe tropical regions of the Amazon you find the brilliant Catagrammas with curious markings on their undersides, bright blue and purple Callitheas and Eunicas, and the robust and powerful Agrias, the Blues, Coppers and Hair The European Blues of the chalk downland are familiar to most people and the fiery Large Coppers which are found particularly in the Alps. Many of the tropical species are even more spectacular with intricate tails and very brilliant colours, not to mention larger size. Although less spectacular, the Satyridae must be mentioned. Mostly grass feeders they are found in all areas that butterflies live in, including the coldest arctic regions. This is the Meadow Brown family with some quite exotic counterparts.
The Skipper butterflies (Hesperiidae) are sometimes regarded as a separate group, almost like moths, as they have a rather different structure. They have a fast wingbeat and dance about at great speed. In Europe they are small but in South America there are very large species. Moths are by no means the drab creatures people take them to be. Several are brilliantly coloured day-fliers and these include the Sunset Moth (Urania ripheus) from Madagascar which is brighter than the most brilliant Swallowtail. The Tiger Moths (Arctiidae) are very bright and match any butterfly. The largest of all moth families is the Noctuidae.
They range in size from a few millimetres across to a wingspan of a foot. You will see from the illustrations that there are lovely Noctuids and even the duller species have intricate patterns and relationships which are worth studying. Another widespread family is the Geometridae whose larvae are the loppers. Geometrid moths generally rest with their wings outspread. Some of the most Sphingidae a swift spectacular darting or Hawk moths. flight, mothssome are the They can famous hover have and this gives them the name of Hawk moth. The Death’s Head Hawk is a famous species with its skull marking on the thorax. Some are as streamlined as any jet aircraft, those such as the Elephant Hawk and many species from the tropics. A characteristic of the well known robust larvae is that they have a prominent point or hook at the tail.
Probably the most spectacular, and certainly the largest, of all moths are the Giant Silkmoths, the Saturniidae. These include the graceful pale green and yellow Moon Moths, with long trailing tails. The lovely Robin Moth from America, the curious Squeaking Silkmoth (the caterpillar squeaks like a mouse) and the enormous Atlas and Hercules Moths from Asia. These have a wingspan of nearly a foot, and an enormous wing area too. Surprisingly, most of these magnificent giants are species and it is which well worth you can trying raise them at home
