Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
The Lepidoptera is an order in the phylum uniramia, arthropoda or insecta (according to which book you read). To go to more pages in this phylum click on the menu below left.

Uniramia

--Centipedes

--Hexapoda 1 (insects)

--Hexapoda 2 (insects)

--Insect orders

----Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)

----Ephemeroptera (mayflies)

----Hemiptera (bugs, cicadas)

----Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps & saw flies)

------Bumblebees

----Coleoptera (beetles)

----Dictyoptera (mantids, cockroaches)

----Diptera (true flies)

----Neuroptera (lacewings, ant lions)

----Orthoptera (crickets, locusts)

----Thysanura (bristletails, silver fish)

----Strepsiptera (stylops)

----Thysanoptera (thrips)

----Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)

----Trichoptera (caddis flies)

----Siphonaptera (fleas)

----Isoptera (termites)

----Phasmida (stick & leaf insects)

----Dermaptera (earwigs)

----Anoplura/Sipunculata (sucking lice)

----Mallophaga (biting lice, bird lice)

----Psocoptera (book lice)

----Mecoptera (scorpion flies)

----Collembola (springtail)

----Embioptera (web spinners)

----Plecoptera (stone flies)

----Diplura (bristletails)

----Protura

----Zoraptera

Lepidoptera fast facts

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are holometabolous insects, that is they have four distinct stages in their lives, egg, larva, pupa and adult.
In each stage they look very different, and two of the stages are largely immobile resting stages.
There are ever 165 000 species known worldwide, 5 000 in Europe and 2 500 in the British Isles.
Clothed with scales often of bright colours.
Suctorial proboscis.
Have chemoreceptors for taste and smell on their legs as well as on their mouthparts.

This page concentrates on butterflies and moths in general, click on the table below to read about different species.

Latin name	Common name	Family
Manola jurtina	Meadow brown	Satyridae
Inachis io	Peacock	Nymphalidae
Poligonia c-album	Comma	Nymphalidae
Aglais urticae	Small tortoiseshell	Nymphalidae
Danaus plexippus	Monarch	Nymphalidae
Limenitis archippus	Viceroy	Nymphalidae
Boloria euphrosyne	Pearl-bordered fritillary	Nymphalidae
Argynnis aglaja	Dark green fritillary	Nymphalidae
Lysandra coridon	Chalkhill blue	Lycaenidae
Gonepteryx rhaemni	Brimstone	Pieridae
Cossus cossus	Goat moth	Cossidae
Ephestia kuehniella	Flour moth	Pyralidae
Sesia apiformis	Hornet clearwing moth	Sesiidae
Hofmannophila pseudospretella	Brown House Moth	Oecophoridae
Autographa gamma	Silver Y	Noctuidae
Cerapteryx graminis	Antler moth	Noctuidae
Xestia xanthographa	Square-spot rustic	Noctuidae
Noctua pronuba	Large yellow underwing	Noctuidae
Hemaris officinalis	Snowberry clearwing	Sphingidae
Cocytius lucifer	Hawx moth	Sphingidae
Gastropacha quercifolia	Lappet moth	Lasiocampidae
Xanthopan morgani

above Lepidoptera eggs showing the intricate sculpturing of the shell

The drawings above show the eggs of
1. Catocala nupta, the red underwing moth. The eggs are laid either singly or in small groups in crevices on the bark of willow, poplar and plum trees. They hatch the following spring and the caterpillars feed at night hiding on the bark during the day. They are fully grown by June or July; pupate in cocoons spun between leaves or in bark crevices and the adults emerge in August or September.
2. Pieris brassicae, the large white butterfly. In the UK there are two generations a year. The eggs are laid in batches on the underside of the food plant; cabbage, and other related plants. The eggs hatch in about a week, and initially the caterpillars feed together.
3. Catocala fraxini, the Clifden nonpariel. Rare in the UK, but found widely in Eurasia. The eggs are laid on poplar, the larval food plant.

On the right is the typical caterpillar body plan usually there are 13 segments including the head. The head segment is the only part encased in hard chitin. Caterpillars do have antennae, but they are so small as to be barely visible.
The foregut is where the food is mixed with the swallowed saliva, and where the salivary enzymes start the digestive process. The midgut is the main site of digestion and absorption. The hindgut resorbs water from the faeces. Because plant cell walls have a high proportion of indigestible tissues, e.g. cellulose and lignin, and a low nutritive content, the digestive tract occupies a parge proportion of the body cavity.

On the right is the typical chrysalis. This is of a cabbage white butterfly. Before the caterpillar moults into the chrysalis stage it will stop feeding and search for a suitable place, this may be on the food plant or underground or on a wall. This is why you may find a large caterpillar wandering around far from its food plant.

Below right is a drawing showing the overlapping scales of the wings. It is the scales which give the beautiful colours.

A caterpillar has three pairs of true legs at the front of the body and the other legs which are called prolegs towards the rear. The number of pairs of prolegs varies according to species. Above is a drawing showing the differences between the two types of leg. The proleg is soft, fleshy and sourrounded by a circle of hooks.

Nearly all butterflies and moths eat liquid food sucked up through their tongue or proboscis. This is actually two tubes joined together (see the cross-section on the right). When not in use the proboscis is curled up like a spring.
Some butterflies have been observed drinking from bird droppings and animal urine. It is believed that they do this to get sodium as necter, their usual food, can be very low in sodium.

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