~utte f i An easy-to-use guide to Europe's most common species Butter flies Text by Michael Chinery Photographic Consultants David and Jean Hosking HarperCollinsPublishers Westerhill Road, Bishopbriggs. GI asgow G64 20T www.collins.co.uk First published 1995 This edition published 2004 0706 05 04 9876543210 Cl Michael Chinery (text) 1995 The copyright in the photographs belong.s to the foliowir>g photographers from the Frank Lane Picture Agency: TN! Benton 16.17.18.11,23.25,17,33,34,35,37,40,48, 49, 51, 53, 56, 57, 59,60, 61, 61.64.65,66,67,69,70,72. 73. 74, 79,83,84, 86, 89, 91, 92, 94, 95. %,98, 99,100,101, t04, 105. 106, 107. 111. Ill, 113, 117, 118, 1 2L 122, 123, 127, 128;R.Bird 88;BorreIl212; H. D. grandl24, 177;M.Chinery 14, 32,45, 5S, 93,129.133,135,141. 148, 167, 172. 178, 181,185, 187, 199,200,206,209,210,217,2'24,227,228,231,243,244, 245;H.Clark 174; E.A. Dean 151;G.Dkl<san 201,236;M.~vam HI, 147, 156, 160, 195,208,220,221,222. 232,235,137,249; Ferrari 44, 47; A. R. Hamblin 251; Harmer 31, 90; Heard 54; E. & D Hosking 144, 188,216; J. Hutchings 218; G. E. Hyde 124, 140. 146, 149, 151, 154. 155, 157, 164, 165. 170, 182. 191. 193. 197, 198. 202, 203, 211, 213, 214. 225, n9, 210, 233, 234,239, 240, 246, 247, 248; P. H. Jerrold 150, 215, 223, 226; Kreutzer 28; Ojalalnen 29, 30: panda Photo 135. 137, 176;G. Perrone/Panda 132; A.l Robem 20S; I.Ro,@ 19,39, 52,103,145,162.163; M.Rose 186;Sil~t.is 143, 173. 175, 183, 184.204. 2S0;J. Swal" 219; J. Tinning 77.179; A. Wharton 20. 102, 138, 139, 142, 1 53, 166, 168. 171, 189, 190, 192,207,238.241. 242;R.Wilmshuf'SI50. lOll, 134. 158, 196;M.8.Withers 159, 161, 169, 180,252; 8. Yates-Smith 13, 15, 22. 25. 35, 36. 41. 42, 43. 46, 58, 63, 68, 71, 75, 76, 78. SO, 81,85,87,97,109.110. )14, 115, 116. 119. 120, 125, 126, no. . Illustrations from Collins New Generation Guide Butler(/ies and Moths of Britain and Eurape and Collins Field Guide Caterpillars, artist Brian Hargreaves ISBN 0-00-]178522 The iluthor hereby asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work and the publisher undertakes to observe such assertion and to impose the same condition on its licencees. All rights reserved. Collins Gem8 is a registered trademark of HarperColiinsPublishers Limited Design by Liz Bourne Printed in Italy by Amadeus 5_pA Contents key The instro described in this bock be1orl8 to 22 fimilies. Each of these hmilies is briefly described on the next few pages, and each one has a small symbol showing something of the ch~ncterinic shape Of colour oriu members. Notall members ellhibit the typical fearures of the family but. by comj».ring the symbols with your specimens. you should be able to place milny of your finds in their correct filmilies and then turn [0 the right place in the book. Convers ely. having found a species in the main body of the book, you can use the symbol there to find the family description in this; key for more information. BUTTERFLIES Skipper Family (Hesperiidae) pp. 13-21 Small brown or greyish butterflies with rapid. darting flight and rather plump. moth-like bodies. The antennae are curved or hooked at the tip. Many bask with their forewings partly raised. Swallowtail Family (Papi/ionldae) pp.22-26 large, brightly coloured butterflies, many of which have a little 'tail' on the hindwing. The inner margin of the hindwing is concave, leaving a clear gap between the body and the wings. White Family (P;eridae) pp. 27-40 The European members of this family are all basically white or yellow, often with marked differences between the sexes. Fritillary Family (Nympha/idae) pp. 4/-72 A large and varied family whose members have only four walking l-cgs. The front legs are small and brush-like and the insects are commonly called brush-footed butterilies. Most of them are brightly coloured, with reds and oranges being the dominant colours. Brown Family (Sotyridoe) pp. 73-98 These butterflies are predominantly brown and almost all have eye-spots on the wing margins. They have only four walking legs. Their caterpillars O<early all feed on grasses. Nettle-tree Butterlly Family (Ubytheidae) p. 99 There is only one European member of this family, which is chancterized by very long palps. Duke of Burgundy Family (RlodinJdae) p.loo There is only one European member of this family. Blue Farnily(Lyooenidoe) pp. 101-130 A very large family of rather small butterflies, many of which exhibit gleaming metallic colours. Most European species are blue. althoogh the females are often brown. but the family also includes the coppers, with their brilliant orange uppersides, and the hairstreaks named for the slender stripes on their undersides. Many have little 'tails' on the hindwings. MOTHS Swik Moth Family (Hepio/idoe) p. 131 Forewings and hindwings in this family are all the same shape and are folded along the sides of the body at reSL The antennae are very short and the moths have no tongue. Goat Moth Family(Co$$/doe)pp. 132-/33 Sturdy moths with wings folded back along the sides of the body at reSL They have no tongue and do not feed. Burnet Family (Zygoenidae) pp. 134-138 Brightly coloured day-flying moths with long, dubbed antennae. Mo~t are either black and red (hurnets) or metallic green (foresters). The bumeu' colours warn birds that they are poisonous -SOI'11e of them acrually contain cyanide! Geometer Family (Geometridoe) pp.1 39-164 A large family of mostly rather flimsy moths that generally res t with their wings spread flat on each side of the body. Most have rather pale or sombre colours. Their caterpillars alternately loop and stretch their bodies as they walk and are commonly tailed c loopers. Hooktip Family (O~panidoe) p. 165 A small family. named for the hooked wing-tips of moSt of the species. At rest. the wings are either folded .. long the sides of the body or spread flat like those of the geometers. D Lutestring Fami Iy (Thyatiridae) pp. /66-167 A small family, named for the fine lines that cross the wings of some species. The wings are held roofwise at rest. with little or no overlap. Il Eggar Family (LcJSiocompidoe)pp. 168-172 Sturdy moths, covered with dense hair and mostly brown or yellow with litde pattern. The tongue is short or absent and the moths do not feed. The wings are usually held roofwisc over the body at rest. Emperol" Family (Sotumlldoe)pp. 173-176 Large, furry moths with an eye-spot on each wing. The male antennae. are very feathery and can pick up the females' scents and home in on them from several kilometres. The tOngue is absCflt. Hawkmoth Family (Sphlngidoe)pp. 177-/91 large and generally fast-Aying moths with narrow, pointed forewings. At rest. the wings <Ire usually laid flat over the body and S~t back into an arrowhead shape. The caterpillars generally have a small hom at the rear. Prominent Family (Notodontidoe) pp. 192-200 A family of mostly sombre coloured morns, whose wings are generally held steeply roofwisc arwrapped tightly around the body at rest. Many have a tuft of scales on the rear of the forewing, and this forms a prominent hump when the moms are at rest. Tussoc;:k Family (tymClntriidoe) pp. 201-205 Very hairy moths. rarely with much colour, whose wings are generally held rootwise at rest with the hairy legs prominently displayed. The ton&1Jc is very short or absent. Syntomid Family (Ctenuchldoe) p. 206 Day-flying moths with weak, drifting flight. There are juSta few species in southern Europe, all either black or brown with white spots. Tiger Moth Family (Anti/doe) pp. 207-219 The tiger moths ane mostly large. brightly coloured and rather hairy moths. although most of the footmen are small and rather drab. Tiger moths rest with their wings held roofWise. but most:footmen lay their wings flat o with a good deal of overlap. Noctuid Family (Noctuidoe) pp. 220-252 The largest of all m oth families. mostly with sombre forewings although the hindwings may be brightly coloured. Most species rest with their wings held rOQfwise 01' else laid flat over the body with a considerable overlap. Introduction The butterflies and moths belong to one of the largen groops of ins«u. with over 16(),OOO known species, More than 5,000 spec.ies occur in Europe. but most of these Ire very small and inconspicuous moths, as little as 3 mm across the wings and commonly known as 'micros', The inSl!CtS described and illustrated in this book are just a small selectiol'l of the European species. but they include many of the common or conspicuous species that are likely to come to your notice. Almost all the British butterflies are included. The photographs show the insec:ts in their nuural attitudes. which is how you normaJly see chern in the field, so identification should be relatively easy. The group is technically known as the lepidoptera. a name muning 'scale-wings' and referring to the minute sales that clothe the wings and give them their colourlul patterns. The scales are only loosely attached and readily come off when the insects are handled. Underneath the scales. the wings have networks of veins that are used in classifying the insects into families. The cell is a more or less oval area near the front of the wing and its pattern is sometimes of use in separating closely related specieoS of butterflies. BUTTERFLY OR MOTH? The division of the Lepidoptera into butterflies and moths is a very unequal one, for there are less than 20,000 butterfly species and they account for only about 15 of the 80 Of" so families in the order. There is no single difference between all the butterflies on the one hand and all the moths on the other, but the antennae or feele rs are a pretty good guide: all butterflies have little knobs or clubs at the ends of their antenfU.e, but very few moths have them. Among the European moths. only the burnen (pp. 13-4-1 38) have clubbed antennae. and these can be recognized quite easily by their general shape and colouring. Almost all butterflies rest with their wings closed vertically over their bodies so that only the undersides of the wings are visible. whereas most of our moths rest with their wings spread flat or folded over the body with their uppersides visible. FEEDING Butterflies and moths feed on liquids. which they suck up through a tubular tongue or probosciS. This is coiled up under the head when not in use. Nectar from flowers is the major food of both butterflies and moths, but some sp«ies also enjoy fruit juices and some woodland buuerflies. induding the Purple Emperor and the Speckled Wood, exist largely on the sugary honeydew dropped by aphids. A number of moths do not feed in the adult state and their tongues are poorly developed or absent altogether. THE LIFE HISTORY Male and female moths usually find each other by means of scent. It is usually the female that releases the scent. and the male tracks her down with the aid of his antennae. These are often rather feathery with a large surface area with which to pick up the Kent. Among the buuerflies. however. the initial attraction is by Sight. and only when the butterflies get close does scent. produced by both partners. come into play. The male scents are released mainly from special scales on the wings. These scales, known as androconia, are often clustered in distinct patches called scent brands. The females lay eggs soon after mating. usually wing care to lay them on the correct foodplants for the resulting caterpillars. The eggs usually hatch within a couple of weeks, although a number of species pass the winter in the egg stage. The caterpillars. or larvae. hatching from the eggs all have three pairs of true legs at the front corresponding to the legs of the adults and most have five pairs of stumpy legs called prolegs further back. The: prolegs on the lut segment are called claspers, and you'll se:e why if you try to remove a caterpillar from a twig! Some groups of caterpillars have even fewer prolegs, the best known being the loopers or geometer larvae. which have Ollly two pairs including die claspers. Caterpillars have biting jaws instead of the sucking probosci of the adults. Most are leaf·eaters, but there ife also caterpillars that eat roots and fruits and some that even chew their way through woody stems. The young caterpillar embarks on an ilmost non-stop orgy of eating and very soon outgrows its tough skin, which does not grow with the rest of the body. It then takes a short rest and bursts out of its skin, having alreidy grown a looser one beneath it. As soon as the new skin hu hardened the catel"pillar Starts eating again, and a second moult is soon necessary. Most G1terpillars undergo four such moults during their lives, and may be fully grown in under four weeks although caterpillars hatching in late summer often go into hibernation and complete their growth in the spring.