The evolution of butterflies, the origin and evolution of butterflies

Evolution of Lepidoptera.

The earliest fossils of moths are estimated to be 100 million years old. The existing fossil record of butterflies dates back 40 million years. Lepidoptera originated and developed with flowering plants when they began to flourish.

Another type of insect most closely related to moths, the stone silkworm moth (Trichooptera), has been proven to have originated hundreds of millions of years ago. However, the type of transition between the two needs to be further ascertained.

Egg-larvae-pupa-adult.

Eggs: Before the larvae are about to hatch, the eggs become darker in color and small larvae can be seen wriggling inside. One of the most vulnerable stages is the first to bite a round "cover" through the tough egg shell, and then the perisquial body to squeeze out of the shell.

When the larvae emerge, they often eat their empty egg shells as nutrients for survival until they can crawl to the feeder plants.

Larvae: In the case of the citrus butterfly, the larva chooses the right branch and spits out silk pads to stick to its tail. Then, a ring or "band" is spit out and wrap around the middle of the body so that it connects with the branches of the plant to support itself.

The epidermis of the larvae splits along the dorsal part and the pupae begin to appear. Through a series of wriggling movements, the larvae's old skin is forced to fall off, and a series of hooks at the tail hook into the supporting wire pad. At this time, the pupae are formed.

Pupa: Before the moment of feathering, the butterfly's color is hazy and visible. The pupal shell cracks and the butterfly begins to break out.

When completely free, butterflies excrete fluid called pupal stools from the end of their abdomen. This is the waste that accumulates during the pupal stage. After the butterfly has fleathered, it rests for a while, and then quietly hangs down its wrinkled wings, and presses the blood down its wings to spread its wings.

The wings must be hardened quickly before they become deformed, otherwise they will be deformed forever.

Adults: Some butterflies lay eggs on the upper surface of the leaves, while others lay on the lower surface to help protect the eggs. Some butterflies lay their eggs in crevices or inside plant tissues.

The female will avoid plants that already have eggs, so that things only have her eggs. Female butterflies often secrete a mucus from their endosis that sticks their eggs to the surface of the leaf or similar support. Some butterflies lay eggs one by one, while others lay eggs in large numbers.

Butterflies and geese, which feed a wide range of larval-eating plants, often scatter their eggs in flight.

It originated 200 million years ago and has evolved to what it is today.

In the Tertiary Oligocene and Miocene 200 million years ago, there were already butterflies that were basically the same as today, and the butterflies were very large at first, but then slowly the purity of oxygen megatans decreased, and began to degrade and become smaller and smaller to become what they are today.

Butterflies evolved and pollinated from the Cretaceous period onwards along with flowering plants that served as food, and were the last species of organisms in the evolution of insects.

The growth and growth process of butterflies needs to go through four stages: fertilized eggs, larvae, pupae and adults, as follows:

1. Fertilized egg

Different species of butterflies have different egg sizes, and they are usually laid on the foliage of plants.

2. Larvae

After the larvae hatch are known, they need to eat a lot of food, usually gnawing on the leaves of the plant, and they need to go through several peels as they grow.

3. Pupa

After the larvae reach maturity, they use silk to fix themselves and become pupa, which is usually located in a relatively hidden place on the back of the leaves of the plant.

4. Adults

When the pupa matures, the butterfly emerges from the pupae. However, it takes a certain amount of time for the wings to dry and harden, after which they can fly freely.

Distribution

Butterflies are distributed in all regions of the world, with the most species in the Neotropics, Indo-Australia, and African tropics. Among them, the neotropical region, mainly in the Amazon River basin of South America, is the most concentrated, and the tropical rainforests and rich vegetation in this region give birth to one-third of the world's butterflies. Many beautiful and ornamental butterflies are also found in Brazil, Peru and other countries in South America.

This is followed by the Oriental and Australian regions, where the world's internationally protected species such as the golden-banded beaked butterfly and the bird-winged butterfly are located in the world's International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are more than 2,200 species of butterflies in China, and there are more than 2,500 species of butterflies in the ridge of the print. There are only more than 450 species of butterflies in Australia.

Papua New Guinea is home to more than 1,200 species of butterflies. The third is the African Zone, where the lowland rainforests are home to more than 4,000 species of beautiful butterflies.

The growth process of butterflies can be divided into four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

1. Eggs. The egg stage is the first stage of butterfly growth. Butterflies lay their eggs in a suitable environment, and the eggs need to hatch at the right temperature and humidity.

2. LarvaeThe larval stage is the second stage of butterfly growth. Butterfly larvae have a snake-like shape and a colorful body pattern.

At this stage, butterflies need a lot of food to support their growth and change. Butterfly larvae feed mainly on the leaves of plants, but different species of butterfly larvae prefer different foods. For example, the larvae of the leaf-curling moth prefer to eat leaves, while the larvae of the citrus butterfly prefer the leaves of citrus and lemon trees.

3. PupaThe pupal stage is the third stage of butterfly growth, at the end of the larval stage, the butterfly wraps itself in a shell, like a cocoon, this leather is called a pupa and protects the butterfly from making further changes inside. Inside the pupae, the larvae's body gradually changes, producing features such as the butterfly's body structure and wings.

This process can take weeks or months, depending on the species of butterfly and environmental conditions.

4. AdultsThe adult stage is the last stage of butterfly growth. When the pupal stage is over, the butterfly struggles out of the pupae, revealing its brilliant wings and colors.

Butterflies at this stage no longer eat, their only task is to find a mate and reproduce offspring. After mating, the mother butterfly will scatter her eggs and start a new growth cycle.

Introduction to the precious species of butterflies:

1. Golden-spotted beaked butterfly.

Its appearance is beautiful, the posture is beautiful, it looks very radiant, it has the reputation of "the queen of butterflies", it is rare because of its traces, it is precious and rare, it is the only butterfly national first-class protected animal in China.

2. The goddess of light flashes butterflies.

The Goddess of Light Butterfly, also known as the Sea Sock Lenna Butterfly, is a large gorgeous butterfly distributed in the tropical rainforest area of South America, with fantastic wings, flashing, spectacular colors and patterns, known as the world's most beautiful butterfly.

3. Two-tailed brown butterfly.

The two-tailed brown butterfly is a unique butterfly species in China, also known as the Yunnan spotted butterfly, which is mostly black-brown in appearance with obvious yellow markings.

4. Cyprus Butterfly.

The Cypriot butterfly has a brilliant color, and its wings can emit a metallic sheen, which is like a rainbow when illuminated by light.