Inachis io
Peacock butterfly ( Inachis io )
The Peacock butterfly ( Inachis io; Syn: nymphalis io ) is ( Nymphalidae ), a butterfly ( butterfly ) of the family Nymphalidae. The peacock butterfly was elected in 2009.
- 3.1 Flight Times
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 50 to 55 millimeters. They have a rust-red wings staining. The unmistakable and striking feature are the easily recognizable on each front and rear wing tip, black, blue and yellow-colored eye-spots. The forewings are inside clear colored with a dark stain. In addition, can be found at the top edge of the wing larger black and white spots, which are closely knows from the wing root to about the middle of the edge and black patterned. The wing outer edge of both pairs of wings is wide gray-brown, just like the body and the wings around the neck. The underwings are finely marbled dark gray and black.
The caterpillars are about 42 mm long. They are black and have the whole body, except the head, numerous fine white spots and black spines on.
Deter predators
As a long-lived butterfly the peacock has a very effective protection against its predators. At rest, with wings folded see representatives of this kind more like dry leaves. Likely risk of an exercise program is initiated with them, in which they abruptly unfold their wings, thereby producing a hissing sound and show off their eye-shaped wings drawing. Zoologists at the University of Stockholm have found through comparative experiments show that in this defense strategy of the eye signal located on the upper wing surface pose the most deterrent effect. They are predators pretend a proportionally to the eyes large animal.
The main enemies of the peacock butterfly fly species Sturmia bella and Phryxe vulgaris, parasitically feed on the caterpillars apply.
Occurrence
The insects are in Europe, except in the north and parts of the Iberian Peninsula, Greece, and Asia to Japan widespread and frequent. They are found up to an altitude of 2500 meters. They occur in a variety of habitats, such as in the vicinity of bright and sunlit forests, but also in parks and gardens.
Way of life
The Tagpfauenaugen, both with modern agriculture as well as other conditions that are caused by human intervention, cope well. This is favored by the rapid growth of nettles on nitrogen-rich, over-fertilized soils. Search for wintering moths slightly moist and protected winter quarters, such as caves, cellars or Fuchsbaue. Sometimes they get lost in attics, but dry up there due to lack of moisture.
Flight Times
The moths fly in two generations a year: The first fly from June to August, and depending on weather conditions diapause of July is adhered to October, the second-generation fly from August to October. After the winter, the moths can already be observed from March to May.
Food of the caterpillars
In Central Europe, the caterpillars feed almost exclusively on stinging nettles (Urtica dioica ), but they are occasionally dodge to other nettle. They rarely feed on Genuine hops ( Humulus lupulus). The moths that live on the island of Samos, on the occur no nettles, feed on upright glass herb ( Parietaria officinalis).
Development
The females lay 50 to 200 eggs on the underside of leaves on sunny or semi-shade more than standing forage crops. These plants need to be humid and sheltered from the wind. The eggs are about one millimeter in size, equipped with eight green and fine longitudinal ribs. After two to three weeks hatch about three millimeters long caterpillars. They have a greenish white color and a shiny black head capsule. They live together and shed their skin after a few days for the first time. The then lightly gray-brown caterpillars create a cocoon that covers the whole plant subsequently. After three molts and depending on the number of animals of various changes on several new food plants they are, after a total of about three to four weeks, mature and deeply colored black with white dots. They disperse in order to pupate on dried stems or the like in Stürzpuppen. You do this by spinning together some white threads to a small pad. Because they attach themselves firmly to their Nachschiebern and are easy to hang curved. After one to two days, the dorsal skin of the caterpillar bursts and the doll will appear. The caterpillars skin is scraped upwards and discharged through a circular motion. Previously, however, the dolls have become hooked with a abdomen tip on the woven backing. The young dolls have a light green color, which is gray-green or brown later. Also, the doll on two rows of shiny spines and several metal-colored spots. After about two weeks you can see the drawing of the finished wing moth already by the slightly transparent pupal case. These bursts at the top starting at predetermined seams, and the moth can squeeze out towards the bottom. Before departure the limp wings need to be inflated by blood fluid and dry. They are early oestrus and the next generation can produce.
SEM image of the head
SEM image of the wing scales
SEM micrograph of the compound eye