Butterflies of the Bear (Arctiidae) are a large family: about 8 thousand species of bears are known all over the world, which is almost one and a half times the number of species of all modern mammals!

They are distributed throughout the world, and in the European part of Russia there are at least 60 species of bears.

The family owes its name to the caterpillars, whose bodies are covered with long dark brown hairs so densely that they seem to be dressed in a bearskin. In most of the caterpillars of these butterflies, the hairs collected in bunches-brushes sit on special protrusions-warts. Such a "woolen cover" protects the caterpillars of the bears from enemies.

The caterpillars lead a relatively secretive way of life, feeding mainly on grasses, and in lichen bears they switched to feeding on mosses or lichens growing on tree trunks.

Bears are butterflies of medium and large sizes with a plump body. large species Families are very bright and variegated, but many smaller ones are gray and inconspicuous. The forewings are triangular in shape, the hindwings are smaller. Almost all female bears lead an evening and nocturnal lifestyle. Let's take a closer look at some of the most interesting specimens.

Kaya bear

One of the most famous representatives of the family is the Kaya bear (Arctia caja). Its habitat includes Europe, Asia and North America. This species is common in the central part of Russia, as well as in Siberia and Far East. The wingspan of the kaya is 6-7 cm. The upper side of the wings is colored in brown-white shades and has an irregular sinuous pattern, the hind wings are red-orange, with round black or blue spots.

The kaya's proboscis is underdeveloped, so it does not feed throughout its short life.

She-bear Hera

The bear, named after the wife of Zeus, the goddess Hera, is easily recognizable by three oblique light lines on the front wings and black spots on the red hind wings. The hera bear (Euplagia quadripunctaria) lives in Europe (except for the northern regions) and in Central Asia. Occurs on forest edges and clearings, among shrubs in the zone deciduous forests. According to the time of flight, the hera belongs to the late summer species - these butterflies fly in July and August. Unlike most other she-bears, the hera flies during the day. The caterpillars of this butterfly hibernate.

Human economic activity leads to the destruction of hera habitats, and today it has become extremely rare in many places.

This is one of the largest representatives of the family - its wingspan often exceeds 10 cm! The view surprises not only with its size, but also with its way of life - Transcaspian gloomy bears (Axiopoena maura) prefer to live among rocks and in caves! It is also unusual that the caterpillars of this species live very far from the caves in the grassy steppes.

This amazing butterfly in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Transcaucasia and Turkmenistan.

bear mistress

The lady bear (Callimorpha dominula), unlike the previous species, cannot boast of large sizes (its wingspan is only 4.5-5 cm), but it is very beautiful. The front wings are painted in dark shades with light spots, the hind wings are orange or bright red with dark spots.

The lady bear is widespread in Central and Southern Europe, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Prefers wet and open places - meadows, mixed-grass slopes, ravines, clearings of broad-leaved forests.

She-bear black and yellow

This is a large bear (Epbestris melfntba), up to 7 cm in wingspan, lives in tropical forests Colombia and Brazil, as well as in the equatorial regions of South America. The wings and abdomen of the butterfly are bright, but not variegated, and instead of the usual numerous spots, they are simply painted in two colors - black and golden yellow; after all, the Greek word melfntba means exactly "black-golden-yellow."

The red-dotted bear (Utetheisa pulchella) is a relatively small species found in southern Europe, Africa, Central and South Asia. The butterfly got its name for the bright pattern on the wings. This one is pretty rare view mostly found in grasslands.

Ursa purple

The purple bear (Rhyparia purpurata) lives in Europe and the temperate regions of Asia. Inhabits dry moorlands and sandy soils. Its wingspan is 3-4.5 cm. The front wings are yellow, with separate brownish spots, the hind wings are orange-red.

Ursa fast

The fast bear (Spilarctia luteum) is widespread from North Africa, through Europe to East Asia. Prefers wet mixed and pine forests. White wings with small black dots in a span of 4-5 cm.These bears fly in June and July during the daytime.

In contact with

Night butterflies with a thick, furry body and colorful wings are representatives of the bear family. There are 11 thousand species in the world. The greatest diversity is noted in South America - 5 thousand species, 150 species of bear butterflies live in Russia. The unusual name of the family is due appearance caterpillars. Their bodies are covered with dense black or brown hairs. The larvae have been compared to cubs, and their parents to bears. Moths have different sizes, the largest are more than 11 cm. temperate zone inhabited by a brightly colored lady-bear butterfly. It can be found on wet edges, along rivers and streams. In all habitats, the number of insects is declining. They were included in the Red Book in Russia and Ukraine.

Description of the species

Lady bear (Callimorphadominula) belongs to large family lepidoptera - bears. Medium-sized insect, wingspan 45-55 mm. The front wings are black with a blue or green tint. They are covered with randomly scattered yellow and white spots. irregular shape. In different individuals, the pattern varies. The hindwings are smaller than the forewings and are bright red, orange or yellow. Along the edge are black spots and bandages.

Information. The synonyms of the name are - the bear-girl and the bear-hostess.

The head is black, the eyes are bulging, occupying most of it. Antennae black, filiform. Distinctive feature species - the presence of a mouth apparatus. Many butterflies of the family do not feed, and the mistress bear has a developed proboscis that allows you to drink the nectar of flowers. In the free state, the organ is folded in the form of a spiral.

Body of imago thickened, densely covered with hairs. The chest is black, on the back there are two yellow stripes. The belly is red with a wide longitudinal black stripe. Walking legs are short.

Distribution area

The species is distributed in the Palearctic zone. In Europe, it lives on a large territory, the northern border is Sweden. It is found in Asia, in the Middle East - in Turkey, Iran. In Russia, it lives in the central, southwestern, northwestern regions. Butterfly in in large numbers lives in the Caucasus. The species is observed in the south of the Ural Mountains.

Lifestyle

Favorite habitats of Callimorphadominula are mixed or sparse deciduous forests. They often settle in the bush, along the road ditches, on the banks of the stream. Butterflies are active after dark. During the day, they hide in damp, shady places. But there are exceptions to the rule, sometimes adults can be seen during the day, when moths fly over flowers, collecting nectar from umbrella plants.

Moths fly in June-July. The species is sedentary, males and females do not spend much time looking for a partner.

After mating, eggs are laid on the main food plants of caterpillars:

• nettle nettle;
• lamb;
• buttercup;
• geranium.

There are several subspecies of Callimorphadominula living in Europe and Asia:

• C. d. philippsi - Azerbaijan, northern Iran;
• C. d. rossica - Caucasus. Transcaucasia;
• C. D. persona - Italy.

These are just a few subtypes. Also interesting is the yellow form of the she-bear-girl f. flava.

Defense mechanism

The species has a weak flight, so catching a moth is not difficult. At the same time, they do not have so many natural enemies. This is due to the presence of poison in the body of insects. The imago hemolymph is bitter; not many birds and reptiles like it. A protective mechanism is present not only in adult representatives of the species, but also in larvae. Long and thick hairs are an ornament, and a kind of shield from predators. Even in humans, they can cause an allergic reaction if you frighten a caterpillar by picking it up.

Information. Bright tones in the color of the wings warn animals about the danger of the mistress bear for their health.

reproduction

Lepidoptera are insects with complete metamorphosis. The mistress bear gives one generation a year. Caterpillars appear 6-8 days after laying. At the first age, they are light yellow, with a large round head and many hairs on the body. The offspring are polyphagous, in addition to the plants listed above, caterpillars prefer to feed on raspberries, blackberries, willows, nettles, honeysuckle, forget-me-nots.

The adult larva is black-blue with bright yellow longitudinal stripes on the back and sides. Burning hairs on the body of the caterpillar are collected in bundles. Yellow stripes are interrupted by black and white warts. Caterpillars enter winter diapause. They turn into a light, loose cocoon and hide among foliage and plant debris. Pupation takes place in May of the following year. The pupa is dark brown.

How to save butterflies?

The motley butterflies Callimorphadominula became one of the many victims economic activity person. Their number is declining everywhere, in some regions they remained in single copies, and ended up in the Red Books of the regions as a rare species. Protective measures to preserve the number of insects are being taken in 20 regions of the Russian Federation. The lady bear butterfly is also included in the appendix to the Red Book of Russia.

There are several reasons for the decline in the number of butterflies:

• Burning grass in the forest-steppe habitat.
• Reducing the area of ​​biotypes suitable for life and reproduction - wet meadows with forbs, edges.
• Removal of fallen leaves in which the insect hibernates.
• Isolation of local populations, making it difficult for the species to spread to new territories.
• Grazing, uncontrolled haymaking, direct destruction of butterflies.

Among the protective measures taken to preserve the species are the regulation of recreational load, the control of grazing and haymaking in forest glades. In the habitats of the bear-mistress, the regulated use of insecticides is introduced. Great importance is to identify new habitats for butterflies and take them under protection.

Variegated, bright and very beautiful butterflies bears. It is not difficult to understand why they were named that way. There are many varieties of these insects and each of them has its own characteristics.

Bear butterflies have a bright color and many varieties.

What do bears look like

The body of the butterfly is somewhat thickened. Large species have very bright wings, covered with hairs, like wool. Small varieties are inconspicuous, their wings are wider, and the body is not covered with hairs. The eyes can be either naked or covered with small cilia. There are antennae on the head, and in males they are often comb-like.

The head of the butterfly is dark, there are black transverse stripes. It is important to note that each representative has its own unique pattern on the wings. And it does not depend on the conditions of residence. Sometimes nearby insects differ so much from each other in color that there are doubts about their relationship.

The most common insect bear can be found at night. However, the meadow and red-dotted butterflies are active at any time of the day. The striped bear loves to collect nectar only during the day, you won’t meet them at night. But Menetrie eats only in the early morning, when the sun has not yet risen. At night, even bright light sources do not attract her.

Most often, the common bear butterfly and its other varieties are found in late spring and summer.

The size directly depends on the type of insect. The largest is the grim bear. With a full wingspan, its dimensions reach 11 centimeters. But the tiniest butterfly will be Epimydia dialampra Stgr. with a wing size of up to 2.5 cm. In total, more than 11 thousand varieties of this insect are known. At the same time, up to 42 species of true bears and 22 species of lichens can be found on the territory of Russia. The most diverse representation in South America.

There are a lot of shaggy hairs on the body of the caterpillar of the bear butterfly

How to identify a caterpillar

Bear caterpillars prefer grasses and stunted plants, but some live in trees. The larvae are densely covered with hairs, the tips of which are white in color. In length reach 6 centimeters. First instar larvae are covered with white hairs. If she senses danger, she falls to the ground and takes on the form of a ring, pretending to be dead.

The kaya bear caterpillar feeds on almost any herbaceous plants and shrubs. Especially loves the leaves of raspberry, viburnum, heather, honeysuckle, blackberry.

The hairs of caterpillars can be carried by the wind. If it gets into the eyes, conjunctivitis develops.

After maturation, the larva pupates. They hide in this period in the soil, or rather in the forest floor. They stay there all winter.

What is the classification of butterflies

There is a huge variety of bear butterflies, even from the photo you can see pronounced differences.

Bear Kaya is one of the most popular and common species.

Butterfly bear Kaya is one of the most famous of this family. You can meet in Europe, Asia, America. The size reaches seven centimeters. The upper part of the wings is brown, has an asymmetrical pattern. Hind wings orange with dark spots.

Butterflies have an underdeveloped proboscis, respectively, they cannot eat. Protein reserves are used as food, which were accumulated in the caterpillar stage.

Kaya bear caterpillar is very beautiful. The lower part of the body is painted in Brown color, while the top is in black. At the same time, it is densely covered with hairs.

This representative is distinguished by the coloring of the wings. On the upper wings there are three light stripes, while the rear ones have a red color and black spots. It occurs most often in European countries, in the southern regions. Prefers forest edges, glades, deciduous forests.

Butterflies emerge from pupae late, at the end of July - in August. Distinctive feature it is also the fact that they feed exclusively during the day. The modern pace of human life has led to the fact that the habitats of the bear Hera are being destroyed, which leads to a decrease in the number of insects.

Hera the she-bear has striped wings

Gloomy Transcaspian bear

This is the largest butterfly of this family. In the span of its wings reach 10 centimeters. But this is not all the features of this amazing insect. The fact is that unlike traditional butterflies, these prefer to fly among the rocks and even love caves. But the caterpillars of the grim bear, on the contrary, live and pupate in the steppes with a different set of herbs.

There is a gloomy Transcaspian bear in Pakistan, Iran, India and the Caucasus.

mistress bear

It is radically different from the previous species. The wingspan does not exceed 5 centimeters. But at the same time she is extraordinarily beautiful. The upper wings are painted in dark colors with contrasting spots. The lower ones are bright, orange or red with dark, almost black spots.

An insect is found in Southern and Northern Europe, as well as in the Caucasus. It feeds in humid regions, loves glades, deciduous forests, mixed grass slopes.

Black and yellow she-bear

The size of the butterfly reaches seven centimeters. Prefers forests of Colombia, Brazil. Differs in the color of the wings. There are no stains on them. They are painted in two colors, more often it is black and golden.

Butterflies of this species can also have a yellow-black color.

Red-dotted bear

Smaller butterflies. The wingspan reaches five centimeters. They are found in Europe, Africa and Asia. The butterfly feeds on flowers growing in the meadows. It is extremely difficult to find it in other places.

The butterfly owes its name to the coloring of its wings: white wings are covered with small black and red dots.

purple bear

The insect is found in Europe and Asia, prefers a temperate climate. Settles in fields sown with heather. The size of the butterfly reaches 4.5 centimeters. The wings are yellow with well-defined brown spots. Hind wings are orange.

fast bear

It can be found in Africa, Europe and Asia. Prefers forests, both coniferous and mixed. There are black dots on the white wings. The wingspan is up to 5 centimeters. Activity is observed in June-July.

In this video you can see caterpillars and butterflies of bears:

There are other types, but these are the most common in the world. Similarities among them can only be noticed by carefully studying each. Outwardly, they are radically different from each other.

Butterflies are usually bright and variegated in color, with a thick body, more or less large. In contrast to cutworms, the abdomen is often brightly colored, with spots or stripes that stand out against the general background. Small species are mostly not brightly colored. In males, the antennae are comb-shaped, the eyes are bare, the proboscis is short, often reduced. Gus. very hairy (hence the name of the family). Most species of this family feed on grasses, plants, goose. lichens - on lichens and liverworts. More than 50 species have been found in the European part of the USSR.

1.! BEAR KAIA (Arctia caja L.). 47-80 mm. Years in VI-VIII. The view is very variable. The range is almost the entire European part, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia. Gus. polyphagous, feed on a wide variety of herbs, plants, as well as on some trees and bushes. Black, with very long black, gray hairs near the apex. In late spring they live in meadows, on many herbs. rast. The pupa is black, in a soft cocoon with woven hairs.

2. RURAL BEAR (Epicallia villica L. (Arctia). 50-60 mm. Years in VI-VII. Usually, except for northern Gus. live on plantain, nettle, yarrow, strawberry and other herbs. plants. Due to variability of the pattern on the wings of butterflies, several of their varieties are distinguished.Distributed in the southern and middle regions of the European part, in the Caucasus and Central Asia.Gus.black, with brown hairs and a dark red head.Chrysalis black, abdominal rings with red cutouts, in white - gray cocoon.

3.! BEAR-HERA (Euplagia quadripunctaria Poda. (Callimorpha hera L.). 50-55 mm. Years at the end of VII-VIII. Range - cf. strip, south. Flies during the day. Distributed in the southern, partly in the middle regions of the European part, on Caucasus and Central Asia Likes mountainous terrain Geese found on plantain, clover, fireweed, gorse, oak and beech Black or gray with yellow or orange dorsal stripe and yellow side stripes, with orange warts edged in black Variation lutenscens hindwings and abdomen are not red, but yellow.Moths need protection.

4. BEAR OWNER (Pericallia matronula L.). 70-80 mm. Years in VI-VII. We meet in the middle regions and southern Siberia. Gus. live on bird cherry, honeysuckle, hazel, hawk, plantain, blueberry, dandelion, etc. The color is dark brown.

5. BEAR-HEBA (Ammobiota hebe L. (Arctia). 47-53 mm. Years in V-VII. Range - the middle and southern regions of the USSR, the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Siberia. It is not common. Gus. develop on yarrow , milkweed, swan, dandelion and other herbal plants Black, with long gray-black and rusty hairs.

6. BEAR-MISS (GIRL) (Panaxia dominula L. (Callimorpha). 45-55 mm. Years in VI-VII. Flies in the middle, southern and partly northern regions, in the Caucasus. In females, the hind wings and abdomen are red, in males - yellow. Geese are polyphagous, live on various herbs, plants, nettles, strawberries, raspberries, willows, poplars, etc. Black-blue, with yellow hairs and with spots on the back and sides.

7! PURPLE BEAR (Rhyparia purpurata L.). 42-45 mm. Flies during the day, in VI-VII. Gus. polyphagous, develop on wormwood, yarrow, plantain and other herbs, less often on willows, bird cherry, raspberries, apple trees, etc. Butterfly is common in our middle, northern, partly in southern regions, in the Caucasus and in southern Siberia. Gus. black, with reddish and yellowish hairs. Butterflies need protection.

8. MEADOW BEAR (Diacrisia sannio L.) - male. Males 40-48 mm, females 35-42 mm. Years in VI-IX. Gus. develop on nettle, bedstraw, plantain, dandelion, and other herbs. rast.

9. MEADOW BEAR - female (smaller than male).

10. BLOODY BEAR (Hypocrita jacobaee L.). 30-39 mm. Years in V-VI. Gus. live on a crossroads. The butterfly is cylindrical, black, found throughout the European part, except for the north, but with breaks.

11. Plantain Bear (Parasemia plantaginis L.) - male. 32-37 mm. Years in V-VII. It is found almost throughout Europe and in Siberia, in forests. Gus. live on plantain and other herbs. rast. The color is black, red in the middle.

12. PLANTAINE BEAR - female.

13. Poplar lichen (Eilema complana L. (Lithosia). 32-35 mm. Years in VI-VIII. We are common in middle areas in coniferous forests. Gus. live on various lichens; blackish, with a black dorsal line in white spots .

14. AMERICAN WHITE BUTTERFLY (Hyphantria cunea Drury.) - male. 25-40 mm. Years in V-VIII. Area - southwest. Gus. polyphagous, damage up to 200 garden, forest and agricultural plants. When mass reproduction is very harmful. The butterfly was brought from the USA at the beginning of World War II (it was first discovered in Hungary, and in 1952 in Transcarpathia).

15. AMERICAN WHITE BUTTERFLY - female.

16. WHITE STRIPED BEAR (Coscinia cribraria L. (Callimorpha cribrum L.) - female. 38-43 mm. Years in VI-VII. Gus. are found on heather, cereals and other herbs. plants.

17. STRIPED YELLOW BEAR (Euprepia striata L. (Callimorpha, Coscinia) - male. 32-35 mm. Years in VI-VII. Gus. live on heather, cereals, wormwood and other herbs. plants.

18. BROWN YELLOW BEAR (Huphoraia aulica L.). 35-40 mm. Years in V-VI. Gus. develop on peas, plantain, yarrow, and other herbs. rast.

19. Dipper speckled (Spilosoma menthastri Esp.). 35-42 mm. Years in V-VI. Gus. live on nettle, buckwheat, mint, sorrel and other herbs. rast.

20. POINT BEAR (Utetheisa pulchella L.). 32-40 mm. Years in V-IX. Area - cf. lane south. Gus. develop on plantain, forget-me-not, and other herbs. rast.

21. Brown Bear (Phragmatobia fuliginosa L.). 32-38 mm. Years in V-VIII. Area - cf. lane south. Gus. polyphagous, live on herbs. rast. Sometimes they harm beets and other garden plants.

22. Four-spotted lichen (Lithosia quadra L. (Oeonistis) - female. 44-52 mm. Years in VI-VIII. Found everywhere, except for northern goose. live on lichens, trunks of oaks, beeches, pines, chestnuts and fruit trees, often on the leaves of these trees.

Butterflies Ursa (Arctiidae) - a large family; all over the world, about 8 thousand of their species are known, which is almost one and a half times more than the number of species of all modern mammals! They are distributed throughout the world, and in the European part of Russia there are at least 60 species of bears.

Family Features

The family owes its name to the caterpillars, whose bodies are covered with long dark brown hairs so densely that they seem to be dressed in a bearskin. In most of the caterpillars of these butterflies, the hairs collected in bunches-brushes sit on special protrusions-warts. Such a "woolen cover" protects the caterpillars of the bears from enemies. Caterpillars lead a relatively secretive lifestyle, feed mainly on grasses, and in lichen bears they switched to feeding on mosses or lichens growing on tree trunks.

Bears are butterflies of medium and large sizes with a plump body. Large species of this family are very bright and colorful, but many smaller species are gray and inconspicuous. The forewings are triangular in shape, the hindwings are smaller. Almost all female bears lead an evening and nocturnal lifestyle. Let's meet some of the most interesting views closer.

Kaya bear

One of the most famous representatives of the family is the Kaya bear (Arctia caja). Its habitat includes Europe, Asia and North America. This species is common in the central part of Russia, as well as in Siberia and the Far East. The wingspan of the kaya is 6-7 cm. The upper side of the wings is colored in brown-white shades and has an irregular sinuous pattern, the hind wings are red-orange, with round black or blue spots.

The kaya's proboscis is underdeveloped, so it does not feed throughout its short life.

She-bear Hera

The bear, named after the wife of Zeus, the goddess Hera, is easily recognizable by three oblique light lines on the front wings and black spots on the red hind wings. The hera bear (Euplagia quadripunctaria) lives in Europe (except for the northern regions) and in Central Asia. It occurs on forest edges and clearings, among shrubs in the zone of deciduous forests. According to the time of flight, the hera belongs to the late summer species - these butterflies fly in July and August. Unlike most other she-bears, the hera flies during the day. The caterpillars of this butterfly hibernate.

Human economic activity leads to the destruction of hera habitats, and today it has become extremely rare in many places.

Transcaspian gloomy bear

This is one of the largest representatives of the family - its wingspan often exceeds 10 cm! The view surprises not only with its size, but also with its way of life - Transcaspian gloomy bears (Axiopoena maura) prefer to live among rocks and in caves! It is also unusual that the caterpillars of this species live very far from the caves in the grassy steppes.

This amazing butterfly is found in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Transcaucasia and Turkmenistan

bear mistress

The lady bear (Callimorpha dominula), unlike the previous species, cannot boast of large sizes (its wingspan is only 4.5-5 cm), but it is very beautiful. The front wings are painted in dark shades with light spots, the hind wings are orange or bright red with dark spots.

The lady bear is widespread in Central and Southern Europe, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Prefers wet and open places - meadows, mixed-grass slopes, ravines, clearings of broad-leaved forests.

Rustic she-bear

Spreading: in Europe, North Africa, in the Palearctic zone up to India. Inhabits light forests, thickets of bushes and meadows.
Wingspan 50-65 mm. The length of the front wing is 25-30 mm. The coloration of the upper side of the wings is black and white with an irregular sinuous pattern, which is characterized by great variability. The upper side of the hindwings is yellow with black spots. The head and thorax are dark, red-brown, the abdomen is red, with black dots in the center. Butterflies are polymorphic

Red-dotted bear

The red-dotted bear (Utetheisa pulchella) is a relatively small species found in southern Europe, Africa, Central and South Asia. She got her name for the bright pattern on the wings. This rather rare species is mainly found in meadows.

Ursa purple

The purple bear (Rhyparia purpurata) is found in Europe and temperate Asian regions. Inhabits dry moorlands and sandy soils. Its wingspan is 3-4.5 cm. The front wings are yellow, with separate brownish spots, the hind wings are orange-red.