The largest moth in the world. The biggest butterfly in the world. Prince of Darkness - a frightening name, but a beautiful content

Is it possible to be 100% sure that this or that butterfly is the most beautiful in the world? This is impossible, because beauty is always a subjective concept. In addition, butterflies always delight with their amazing beauty, which fascinates many people. This manifests itself even in folk omens, because it is believed that butterflies that have flown into the house symbolize good luck for people. Despite the inability to objectively assess the beauty of fluttering individuals, you can rank the largest butterflies.

Maaka's tail-bearer lives in Russia and is even the largest butterfly in the country, so it deserves special interest of many Russians.

Members of this family are named after R. K. Maaka who devoted his life to the study natural world and managed to discover this species of butterflies.

Males always surprise with greater beauty than females. It is they who have a dark green color that can shimmer in the sun. In fact, females also surprise with their beautiful appearance, although it appears to be more familiar.

Females often live alone. Male individuals can gather in flocks, and during the flight they create real beauty.

Maak's tail-bearer can be found in many parts of Russia, as a result of which Russian nature is adorned with these representatives of fluttering individuals. Butterflies of this species also live in Korea. It is important to note that in Lately this species has become rare, so it needs special protection.

The peacock-eye lives in many European countries. It is interesting to note that females are always larger than males. However, the beauty of each individual is truly amazing. Butterflies are distinguished by special wings, because they are decorated with small dark eyes, which distinguishes them from other types of fluttering ones.

Males can learn that females are several kilometers away thanks to their heightened sense of smell. However, despite this physiological feature, the population is rapidly declining, so the peacock-eye may soon cease to delight nature lovers.

The ornithoptera croesus got its name from King Croesus who ruled over Lydia. Butterflies are orange and yellow in color. At the same time, a dark pattern can be detected against the background of a bright color.

Renowned explorer Alfred Wallace managed to discover butterflies that live in Indonesia. However, the future of the species is impossible to predict, because recently the number has been gradually decreasing.

Madagascar comet, which is also called the African moon moth, is recognized as one of the largest and most attractive butterflies in the world. Females are often much larger than males.

Madagascar comets, unfortunately, live only a few days. At the same time, butterflies of this species cannot eat, since they do not have a system responsible for the nutritional function. Life activity is supported by useful components that were accumulated during the development of the caterpillar. However, the nutrients are only sufficient for a short period of time.

Madagascar comets live in the tropics and are active only at night, so it is almost impossible to see them in reality.

This variety of butterflies surprises with its beauty. At the same time, the dimensions are also admirable. Females and males grow to about the same size. On the black wings, which are distinguished by a velvety structure, you can see bright green triangles. This appearance contributes to many collectors appreciating the trogonoptera trojan.

It is important to note that butterflies of this species live only on the island of Palawan. However, they may disappear completely in the near future. Wealthy collectors also breed butterflies on special farms.

The largest individual was caught back in 1992, and now it is stored in a museum in Australia. Butterflies of this species natural environment they live actively only at night, so they almost never catch the eye of admirers of exotic nature.

Peacock-eyed atlas surprises with its beauty. Her wings are replete with numerous patterns. You can see spots of various colors, but they always bring special notes to the appearance of the peacock-eye.

It should be noted that butterflies can emit a unique silk that surprises with its quality. For this reason, the peacock-eye atlas is used for appropriate purposes.

Butterflies live in Asian countries, but today the inhabitants of Russia have a special opportunity. Now, in the Moscow Zoo, Russians can still see several large representatives and appreciate their beauty. Atlas peacock-eye lives for about two weeks.

These large butterflies live in Africa. Females always grow smaller than males. However, beauty always surprises people. Lepidoptera have a unique wing color.

The Antimach sailboat was found in the middle of the 18th century thanks to the biologist Smithman from Great Britain. At the same time, the species of these butterflies was named after the hero Antimachus, who appeared in many myths. Butterfly population is considered small, so it needs special protection.

Female and male individuals surprise with their beauty, but at the same time, females always turn out to be larger. Males are distinguished by long spurs, and at the stage of caterpillar development, it is the male representatives of the species that are larger. It is only after the caterpillars turn into butterflies that the females become larger than the males.

Peacock-eyed Hercules is considered one of the most beautiful in the whole world. Its color resembles the appearance of a peacock. Butterflies are nocturnal. Today, this type of winged insect can be kept even in captivity, which is what many collectors strive for.

Females of this species always dominate in size over male representatives. The caterpillars also turn out to be quite large, and their length often reaches 12 centimeters. It is clear that adults will be even larger.

Males have a bright and unusual color. Females, in turn, look more familiar.

Collectors truly appreciate the Queen Alexandra birdwing, but capture is prohibited to preserve the population of the species. The largest individual that was caught is kept in the Museum of London.

It is the South American tropical owl that is considered the largest butterfly in the world. It can even be confused with a small bird. Caterpillars during their development can grow up to 16 centimeters long, and the size of adults is truly surprising.

Butterflies are pale in color. A brown pattern can be seen on the white wings.

South American tropical owls, which live in America and Mexico, most often live at night. The small population is still poorly understood.

The world of beautiful and large butterflies is considered unique, and many scientists must make significant efforts to study it.

Scientists have already studied more than 150 thousand species of butterflies. According to preliminary estimates, science knows nothing about at least 100,000 more species! Among such a variety there are amazing specimens. For example, acetosia is the smallest butterfly in the world. It can only be found in the UK, the length of the calf and the wingspan of the baby is only 2 mm. Radiculosis is 2 times more. Its wingspan is already 4 mm. And what is the most big butterfly in the world? About giant moths, which are larger than a starling, the article will tell.

Selection criteria

It would seem that it could be easier than to determine which butterfly is the largest on Earth? Measure wings, compare with other moths - and you're done! But not everything is so simple. Entomologists argue what to compare: wingspan or their area? While there is no exact answer, we will separately present the winners in each nomination.

Scoop Agrippina

She is also called Agrippa or Tisania Agrippina. This insect has the largest wingspan in the world - 27-29 cm. In 1934, agrippa with a wingspan of 30.8 cm was caught in the tropical forests of South America. Mario Callegari, an entomologist known in scientific circles, claims that in 1997 in Peruvian selva got an agrippa with a wingspan of 31.2 cm!

The butterfly is distributed throughout the South American mainland, and is also found in Central America. The background of the wings is light gray or white. On it is a pattern of alternating clear winding lines of dark brown color. Bandages and brown or brown smears are visible between the lines. The edges of the wings are neatly zigzag. The body is stocky, 9 cm long, striped like a zebra.

The antennae are long and mobile. When a butterfly sits with spread wings on a gray tree trunk, it becomes almost invisible. Nature gave her such an excellent disguise to protect her from birds and other insectivores.

The scoop of Agrippina is still little studied. She is known to lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. It is believed that its larvae, like adults, feed on the greens of plants of the genus Cassia, belonging to the legume family.

Caterpillars grow up to 16 cm in length. The female attracts the male with a special odorous secret, the smell of which the male hears for several kilometers.

The species is endangered and is under state protection in Brazil.

Peacock-eye Hercules

The Peacock-eye Hercules or Koscinocera Hercules butterfly rightfully claims the title of the largest butterfly in the world. The wingspan reaches 28 cm in females, 26-27 cm in males, and their area is simply huge - 263 sq. cm. In males, the hind wings end in long (up to 12 cm) spurs.

The butterfly has a very beautiful bright color, indeed, from afar it resembles peacock feathers.

This beauty lives on the Australian mainland and on the islands of New Guinea. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. Butterfly caterpillars also grow very large - up to 17 cm in length. It feeds on leaves of willow, lilac, late bird cherry, walnut, brook tree. Well bred in captivity.

Peacock-eye Atlas

Another giant butterfly. It has a wingspan of up to 26 cm, their area is 220 sq. cm. It lives in tropical rainforests in southern China, in South-East Asia(from Thailand to Indonesia, on the islands of Java and Kalimantan). By the way, it was on the island of Java that an Atlas specimen with a wingspan of 26.2 cm was caught and officially measured.

The wings of the moth are painted very richly: patterns, straight and winding lines of red, white, yellow, silver colors are presented on a common brown background of various shades. In the middle of the wings there are large transparent triangles with a black border. The edges are edged with a velvety light brown ribbon with black parallel stripes.

Due to the bizarrely curved shape of the front wings in Hong Kong, this butterfly is called the "Snake-Headed Moth". They are also called "Princes of Darkness" because they are nocturnal.

A feature of the insect is the absence of a mouth. Atlas lives for only 2 weeks, while not eating at all, existing at the expense of nutrients accumulated in the body of the caterpillar. Its main task is reproduction.

The female exudes pheromones, which the male smells for 10-15 km from her! While the male is looking for her, she sits motionless in the dense canopy of a tree. These butterflies have the longest sexual intercourse in the animal world - mating lasts several hours. After that, the butterfly lays eggs and soon dies.

The caterpillar of this moth is also very interesting: large, up to 10 cm in length. The light green body is all covered with long bluish processes, which seem to be crushed from above with white prickly hoarfrost.

Peacock-eye Atlas is a useful butterfly. In Thailand, the natives use her huge cocoons as wallets. In India, they are grown on farms for the production of loon silk. This thread is superior to silk silkworm. Differs in unprecedented durability, high strength and excellent wooliness.

The giant butterfly can be seen at the Moscow Zoo.

Sailboat Maaka

Other giants

The article examined the largest butterflies in the world. Also in this row are:

Ornithoptera (Birdwing) of Queen Alexandra. The wingspan is up to 26 cm. It is the largest diurnal butterfly on earth. It is found exclusively in the territory of the state of Papua New Guinea.
The sailboat Antimachus is the largest butterfly in Africa. Leads a daily lifestyle. The wingspan of males is up to 23-25 cm.
Peacock-eye pear is the largest European butterfly leading a nocturnal lifestyle. The wingspan reaches 15.5 cm.
Maak's sailboat is a diurnal moth, the largest in Russia. The wingspan is up to 14 cm. The males have a very beautiful coloration: on a dark green glossy background of the wings, green threads of various shades shine with lurex, black fringe borders the edges. The hind wings are decorated with dark blue spurs.

Then let's find a giant by some other criterion. For example, in terms of wingspan.

This giant butterfly is amazing in its beauty and size. It's called Peacock-eye Atlas(Attacus atlas). Its wingspan reaches 26 cm, and the wing area is up to 400 square meters. see According to the last parameter, Atlas is considered the largest butterfly on the planet. It is found in the subtropics Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Thailand, South China, Malay Archipelago. The largest specimen was documented on the island Java- this female had a wingspan of 262 mm.

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Painted Atlas in brown, bright red, yellow and pink shades. On each wing she has large transparent triangular "windows". The front wings have a bizarrely curved edge, resembling a snake's head in shape and color, which is what scares away many insectivorous animals. For this unusual feature in Hong Kong, the butterfly was nicknamed "A moth is the head of a snake."

In addition to size, the giant beauty has another unique feature - a completely atrophied mouth. During its short (1-2 weeks) life, it does not eat anything, but recycles fat reserves accumulated while still being a caterpillar.

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Atlas caterpillars are also huge - up to 10 cm in length. Appearance theirs is rather unusual: light green in color, with large bluish processes all over the body, which are covered with a white waxy coating resembling powder.

Atlases are twilight. They are active late in the evening and in the early morning hours, for which they received another sonorous nickname - "Prince of Darkness".

The whole short life of these beautiful creatures is devoted exclusively to reproduction. On the first evening after leaving the pupa, the male goes in search of a female. The female, emerging from the pupa, sits motionless in anticipation of the male, and is able to wait for him in this way for several days. It attracts males with powerful pheromones, the smell of which the male is able to smell with the help of his large feathery antennae at a distance of several kilometers! Mating lasts several hours. The next evening after mating, the female begins laying eggs. Egg laying continues for several nights, immediately after it is completed, the female dies.

Atlases are not only beautiful, but also "useful" butterflies. In India, they are bred on special farms to obtain lung silk, which differs from silkworm silk in wooliness, strength and extraordinary durability. And in Taiwan, wallets are made from huge strong cocoons of this butterfly.

To admire Peacock-Eyed Atlas You don't have to go to Asia. She is bred in Moscow zoo.

Photographer Sandesh Kadur, while traveling in the Himalayas, photographed the largest moth in the world. The wingspan of this moth is 25 centimeters. When the photographer first saw him, he was a little scared. The open wings of a butterfly with a pattern on them gave the impression of a large, vicious muzzle of a snake. It is not for nothing that Atlas is called so in China - "butterfly with a snake's head."

According to experts, this is a kind of protection from enemies, and the butterfly itself is completely harmless and not poisonous. She doesn't even have a mouth. For all my short life, which lasts only two weeks from the moment the chrysalis turns into a butterfly, this beautiful creature has only one goal - to lay as many eggs as possible. Atlases do not drink or eat. They live off the nutrients that they received at the caterpillar stage.

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Well, everything we have taken away from the series

Ornithoptera croesus ranks seventh among the largest butterflies in the world with a wingspan of 16 centimeters. The winged insect got its name in honor of the ancient king of Lydia Croesus. Lepidoptera representatives have a bright orange and yellow color, against which a black pattern appears. The naturalist Alfred Wallace is considered the discoverer of the species. Ornithoptera krez lives in Indonesia on the island of Bachan. The butterfly is currently endangered.

6. Trogonoptera Troyan (lat. Trogonoptera trojana). Wingspan 19 cm.

Trogonoptera Trojan or the Trojan takes the sixth line in the ranking of the largest butterflies in the world. The maximum wingspan of the largest representatives is 19 centimeters. Females and males are about the same size. On a velvety black background of the wings, a pattern in the form of bright green triangles predominates. The species lives exclusively on the island of Palawan and is endangered. These Lepidoptera are also bred on special farms for collection purposes.

5. Antimach sailboat (lat. Papilio antimachus). Wingspan 25 cm.

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Sailboat antimach is the largest butterfly found in Africa. The wingspan of the largest representatives is 25 centimeters. Females are much smaller than males. The insect got its name in honor of the mythological hero Antimachus. The species was first discovered in the middle of the 18th century by the British biologist Smithman. Then the male was caught. The female Antimachus was only caught at the end of the 19th century. have a wing color that varies from yellow to red. The population of this species is not numerous and is under protection.

4. Peacock-eye atlas (lat. Attacus atlas). Wingspan 24 cm.

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Peacock-eye atlas ranks fourth among the largest butterflies with a wingspan of 24 centimeters. The largest individual was caught in 1992 and is now stored in the Australian Museum. Another name for the insect is the Prince of Darkness due to its nocturnal lifestyle and bright color. The variegated wings abound in brown, cream, yellow and red patterns. Atlas not only brings aesthetic pleasure, but also material benefits to a person: it highlights silk, which is superior in quality to silkworm silk. Lepidoptera live in China, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Vietnam. You can also admire bright and large specimens on the territory of Russia in the Moscow Zoo. The prince of darkness has a short life span of about two weeks. During this period, adults do not feed, but exist at the expense of substances accumulated in the caterpillar stage.

3. Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae). Wingspan 27 cm.

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing opens the top three largest butterflies in the world. Females dominate in size over males. The largest individuals reach a wingspan of 27 centimeters. The caterpillars are also quite large and can reach 12 cm. The largest captured specimen of a female, whose wingspan is 273 mm, is now kept in the Museum of London. Males, unlike females, have a very bright, juicy color and are considered the most beautiful of the Lepidoptera order. This is one of the rarest species, which is highly valued by collectors. But due to the small number of bird wing trapping is prohibited. The habitat of the winged insect is Papua New Guinea.

2. Peacock-eyed hercules (lat. Coscinocera hercules). Wingspan 27 cm.

Peacock-eye hercules ranks second among the largest butterflies in the world. Females are larger than males and have a wingspan of up to 27 centimeters, and an area of \u200b\u200bup to 263.2 square meters. cm. The male differs from the female with spurs, which can reach a length of 12 cm. Their caterpillars, which grow up to 16 centimeters in length, also have impressive dimensions. Peacock-eye is not only very large, but also one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world with a bright color, like a peacock. You can meet such beauty in Australia and New Guinea. The winged insect feeds at night. The source of its food are the leaves of many plants. This species can also be bred and live in captivity.

1. South American tropical owl (lat. Thysania agrippina). Wingspan 31 cm.

South American Tropical Owl- the most large butterfly in the world, which is easy to confuse from a distance with a small bird. The span of its huge wings can reach 31 centimeters. It was this size that specimens were caught in 1934, and then in 1997. Butterfly caterpillars are also quite large and measure up to 16 cm in length. The winged insect has a pale coloring: a brown pattern appears on a white background. As a rule, the tropical hill is nocturnal. Its habitat is Mexico, South and Central America. She eats the leaves of the cassia bush. This is a rather rare and small species, which is still poorly understood.

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