Brazhnik oleandrovy: interesting facts, features of the species

Nature is a great inventor. And when creating a butterfly Daphnis nerii (an oleander brazier), she showed herself as a talented artist. This butterfly by right can be called the most beautiful of all twilight and night insects.

Family of Brazhniki: general information

A whole list of twilight and nocturnal insects belongs to the family of scammers. These are butterflies (photo above) of large and medium size, with a large pointed body. All of them have elongated wings, the range of which can vary from 30 to 175 mm.

The caterpillars of the braziers are bright and large. Grow and develop on trees and bushes, although some types of gamblers prefer grassy vegetation. Inside the species, each caterpillar has a narrow food selectivity, which means that a certain kind of food is suitable for several related plants. Deviations from this rule are rare. Polyphagous brawlers almost never occur.

The extensive family includes two butterflies, leading the morning and afternoon lifestyle.

The family list consists of almost 1200 species and subfamilies. The most famous are:

• Topol gazelles, eyeballs; Amur brazier, blind brazier belonging to the subfamily Smerinthinae.
• Lilac, pine, convolvulus, dead head - subfamily of the sphinxes.
• The brazier is oleander; Bumblebee (day view), proserpine, broom-bat, southern euphorbia, lingual - subfamily Long-tongued.

This is a very small part of the list, but it can be judged on the species diversity within the family.

Oleander warrior: acquaintance

Enjoy the beauty of this butterfly is very difficult. Nature came up with the perfect disguise for her wonderful creation. Brazhnik oleandrovy - a fairly large night butterfly with a large wingspan. The front wings of the insect are up to 52 mm in size. In the span they can be up to 125 mm. The front wings are colored with whitish and pink undulating strips. The inner corner of the front wings is decorated with a large purple elongated spot.

The hind wings of an insect resemble the work of an unknown artist. From the base to the middle they are painted in blackish shades, and from the center to the edge - in greenish-brown colors. In a butterfly (see photo below), the zones of color are separated by a white strip.

The body of the oleander beauty is elongated, sharply tapering towards the back. The breast is colored gray-green. The abdomen has a pleasant olive color. The first segments of the abdomen are surrounded by a border of white hairs. Further on each side are beveled olive strips.

Where does this species of butterflies meet?

Unusual night butterfly is not very common. And not everyone can see it in the foliage of oleander. The oleander brazier refers to migrating butterflies. The main places of residence are Africa and the Middle East. If a warm year is given, then an insect can be found on the territory of Central Europe.

In the post-Soviet space is found in Transcaucasia, the North Caucasus, the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Azov Sea. Most often, an oleander brazier comes to the eyes of the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea. Sometimes a beautiful butterfly can be seen also in Moldova, the Crimea and on the territory of Turkmenistan. In the cooler areas, the bride does not fly, because physiologically he is not able to withstand the cold winters.

How does the caterpillar look like?

Like other representatives of the family, the caterpillar of the oleander navigator is large and brightly colored. It can be green or yellowish in color. The main decorations are dark spots on both sides of the third segment. From a distance they look like eyes, because the spot itself is blue or black, and in its center is a white dot. After the third segment a light longitudinal stripe begins. The caterpillar has a short and flattened caudal horn.

In the pupa stage the caterpillar passes to the ground near the roots of oleander. In the cocoon weave fragments of leaves of this plant. The pupa itself is brown and elongated. Each spurge on both sides is decorated with a black speck.

Taste preferences

If you were lucky in a warm climate to see a butterfly in a "camouflage couture" in the evening, then it could be an oleander brazier. What does this beautiful woman eat? Like most braziers, the oleander species has food selectivity.

The basis of feeding the caterpillar is periwinkle and oleander. Despite the fact that both these plants are poisonous, the caterpillar of dangerous substances does not accumulate, it makes it completely defenseless. In some regions, the insect can feed on grape leaves, but this happens infrequently.

It is interesting

And is there anything else unusual, except for the "designer" coloring, in the butterfly an oleander braver? Interesting facts were revealed by entomologists during the observation process:

1. All the scouts, and the oleander appearance is no exception, during the feeding they do not sit down on the flowers. They hang over them, quickly moving their wings. From the side it may seem that the hummingbird flutter above the flower. But scammers and hummingbirds do not have related intersections, just these kinds are an example of convergent evolution.
2. Oleander brazhnik can migrate over long distances. This is facilitated by the ability to develop a high speed in flight. This type of butterfly is considered the fastest among lepidopteran insects, their speed can reach 50 km / h.
3. Oleander brazhnik is able to quickly pollinate a large number of colors. This is due to the ability to move quickly and the presence of a long proboscis.
4. A rare species of butterflies, an oleander brazier, was listed in the Red Book of the USSR.

To maintain the population and preserve the species, scientists recommend growing oleander planting in resort areas in order to attract the oleander sage and create conditions for reproduction.