DISCOVERING THE BUTTERFLY WORLD Butterfly Identification: families and resources Differences between butterflies and moths In culture and taxonomy, two @P. Mazzei main categories of Lepidoptera are distinguished: mariposa – polilla farfalle – falene butterfly – moth schmetterling – motte πεταλούδα – σκώρος @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei Butterflies and Moths Taxonomists have been searching for decades for an unique character that can distinguish butterflies and moths. The only character that has been recognized was the shape of the antennae, which only in butterflies show a typically elongated shape ending in a mace, while in moths the antennae take many other shapes, except for this one. For this reason, Lepidoptera had been divided into: • Rhopalocera/Butterflies (antennae with mace) • Heterocera/Moths (antennae with other shapes) Hazlitt Alva Cuppy PH.D., Editor Beauties and Wonders of Land and Sea (Springfield, OH: Mast, Crowell & Kirkpatrick, 1895) @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei @D. Morel @P. Mazzei Those colorful individuals are moths Butterflies and Moths @C. Sevilleja @A. Vliegenthart @A. Vliegenthart The great majority of moths belongs to the microlepidoptera group @A. Vliegenthart @A. Vliegenthart @A. Vliegenthart Butterflies and Moths • Butterflies: slender filamentous antennae which are club-shaped at the end. Wings spread in resting posture or folded about their backs • Moths: comb-like or feathery antennae and triangular shape wings in resting posture @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei Butterfly Families Hesperidae To start with Butterfly identification: It is important to distinguish the different families Riodinidae Every family will be explained with their important characteristics and Papilionidae most common species Pieridae Lycenidae Rhopalocera Nymphalidae (s.str) Nymphalidae Satyrinae 1. Butterfly families Skippers - Hesperiidae Papilionidae Whites - Pieridae © Erk Dallmeyer © Gór Ádám © Szombathelyi Ervin Riodinidae Lycaenidae Nymphalidae © Káldi József © Nestor Tamás © Gór Ádám 1. Butterfly families 1.1 Skippers – Hesperiidae ⚫ Small body, 'stocky' ⚫ Large, broad head ⚫ Thick, massive thorax ⚫ Relatively small wing area ⚫ Tip of the antenna is curved © Erk Dallmeyer ⚫ Antennae stem far from Erynnis tages – dingy skipper each other on the head 1. Butterfly families 1.1 Family Pieridae Hesperiinae Heteropterinae © Chris van Swaay Pyrginae © Chris van Swaay © Albert Vliegenthart © Cristina Sevilleja Hesperiinae © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám These are two different species. Which photos belong to the same species? What are the differences? Hesperiinae © Gór Ádám How many species can you distinguish? © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám Hesperiinae © Gór Ádám Clear, conspicuous white spots © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám Dull, yellowish spots 2 species © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám Hesperiinae © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám The important key features are often on the underside of the wings! Hesperia comma Ochlodes sylvanus Pyrginae Pyrgus sp. Pyrgus armoricanus Pyrgus malvoides @R. Panfili @R. Panfili Spialia sertorius Carcharodus alceae @R. Panfili @R. Panfili 1. Butterfly families 1.2 Papilionidae ⚫ Large body, large wings ⚫ Hindwing often scalloped, or has a tail (Papilioninae) ⚫ Forewing edge is transparent, without scales (Parnassiinae) © Erk Dallmeyer Papilio machaon ⚫ Some caterpillars have an © Gór Ádám 'osmaterium' Iphiclides podalirius © Nestor Tamás © Nestor Tamás © 2011 Marvin Smith Zerynthia polyxena Parnassius mnemosyne 1. Butterfly families 1.3 Whites - Pieridae ⚫ Variable body size (small-medium) ⚫ White, yellow and orange ground color ⚫ Often strong sexual dimorphism ⚫ Modified habitat by humans ⚫ Preferred plants: leguminous & crucifers (pests) ⚫ Green eyes © Albert Vliegenthart © Cristina Sevilleja © Chris van Swaay © Chris van Swaay Family Pieridae Pierinae Coliadinae Dismorphinae @R. Panfili @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei Whites Yellowish Leptidea sinapis White, rounded wing shape and slow flight 1.3 Whites - Pieridae How many species are on these photos? © Káldi József © Dr. Gergely Péter © Erk Dallmeyer © Hudák Tamás © Szombathelyi Ervin © Hudák Tamás © Káldi József © Dr. Gergely Péter © Gór Ádám © Hudák Tamás 1.3 Whites - Pieridae ⚫ Answer: 8 species ⚫ P. mnemosyne: NOT in this family! (It was a prank) © Káldi József © Dr. Gergely Péter Gonepteryx rhamni Leptidea sinapis/juvernica © Erk Dallmeyer © Hudák Tamás © Szombathelyi Ervin © Hudák Tamás Anthocharis cardamines Parnassius mnemosyne Aporia crataegi Anthocharis cardamines © Káldi József © Dr. Gergely Péter © Gór Ádám © Hudák Tamás Colias hyale Pieris brassicae Pieris rapae Pieris brassicae 1.3 Whites - Pieridae Example of confusing species Mickey Mouse © Gór Ádám © Hudák Tamás Pontia edusa/daplidice Anthocharis cardamines On the underside, there is more On the underside, there is more white than green, green patches green than white, green patches are smaller and the pattern is are large fragmented 1.3 Whites - Pieridae Pieris brassicae Important to check the apical spot (red arrow) how long and diffuse it is in Pieris species Pieris rapae Pieris napi Pierinae Pieris brassicae Pieris rapae @R. Panfili @M. Bonifacino Pieris napi Pieris mannii @P. Mazzei @P. Mazzei 1. Butterfly families 1.4 Lycaenidae • Small or medium body size • Sexual dimorphism • Myrmecophily (ant relationship) • Labial palps usually protrude forward © Chris van Swaay • Rapid flight © Albert Vliegenthart © Gór Ádám © Chris van Swaay © Chris van Swaay 1.4 Family Lycaenidae Lycaeninae Theclinae Polyommatinae © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Nestor Tamás © Hudák Tamás © Hudák Tamás © Nestor Tamás © Kurucz Lajos © Kurucz Lajos ⚫ Violet, orange or brown ground color ⚫ Blue male – brown female (not always) ⚫ Forewing underside: © Hudák Tamás black spot in the basal ⚫ Orange spots at the edge of the underside and/or area ⚫ Brownish ground color conspicuous black spots ⚫ Small tail ⚫ White streak on the hindwing underside ⚫ Orange band ⚫ Skyblue (azure) extended on both ⚫ Black lines in the wings white edge at the ⚫ Metallic blue dots end of the veins Plebejus argyrognomon Polyommatus bellargus © Nestor Tamás © Kurucz Lajos ⚫ Forewing underside: ⚫ Orange band on line of black spots is forewing reduced J-shaped ⚫ Metallic blue dots Maculinea alcon Plebejus argus © Szombathelyi Ervin © Gór Ádám ⚫ Forewing underside: line of ⚫ Black spot in the black spots is forewing cell curved, but does ⚫ No metallic blue dots not turn back © Káldi József Maculinea teleius © Gór Ádám Polyommatus icarus Examples of identification keys to pay attention 1. Butterfly families 1.5 Riodinidae • A subfamily from the tropics – Metalmarks butterflies • Diverse family: a single species in Europe • Between Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae Wikipedia Reise der Österreichischen © Káldi József Fregatte Novara um die Erde (1861–1876) Duke of Burgundy – Hamearis lucina © Gór Ádám 1. Butterfly families 1.6 Nymphalidae © Hudák Tamás ⚫ First pair of legs is vestigial, you see 'four-legged' ⚫ Very diverse: size, shape, color (frequent orange & red), life history ⚫ They can feed on rotten fruits (not only nectar) Subfamilies: - Libytheinae - Limenitinae - Heliconiinae - Apaturinae - Nymphalinae - Satyrinae © Chris van Swaay © Hudák Tamás © Káldi József © Gór Ádám © Chris van Swaay 1.6 Nymphalidae 1.6.1 Libytheinae Unique species in Europe - Lybithea celtis © Hudák Tamás © Gór Ádám Palpi are long extended ahead and hibernate as an adult 1.6.2 Limenitinae ⚫ Dark brown or black ground color ⚫ Medium or large body ⚫ White bands Limenitis camilla © Kurucz Lajos © Kurucz Lajos Limenitis reducta © Szombathelyi Ervin © Szombathelyi Ervin 1.6.3 Heliconiinae ⚫ Orange ground color, black pattern ⚫ Pearl-like spots or bands on the underside © Hudák Tamás © Hudák Tamás Argynnis paphia Better to check the underside for © Szombathelyi Ervin identification © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Szombathelyi Ervin Brenthis ino © Hudák Tamás © Hudák Tamás Issoria lathonia © Gór Ádám 1.6.4 Apaturinae ⚫ Blackish, brownish wing ⚫ Medium-large body size ⚫ Blue-violet iridescence © Gór Ádám Apaturia ilia © Chris van Swaay 1.6.5 Nymphalinae ⚫ Very diverse group ⚫ Hindwing scalloped or forewing elongated ⚫ Black/brown ground color and orange spots and bands © Hudák Tamás © Gór Ádám © Nestor Tamás Polygonia c-album Euphydryas maturna Melitaea cinxia © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám © Gór Ádám Inachis io Vanessa atalanta Vanessa cardui 1.6.6 Satyrinae © Hudák Tamás ⚫ Eye-spots (single or chain) ⚫ Mostly brownish ground-color ⚫ Caterpillars feed mostly on grasses © Káldi József Lasiommata megera Coenonympha pamphilus © Gór Ádám Melanargia galathea © Hudák Tamás © Gór Ádám Maniola jurtina Lopinga achine © Nestor Tamás © Gór Ádám © Hudák Tamás Which butterflies do NOT belong to Nymphalinae? © Hudák Tamás © Gór Ádám © Káldi József © Hudák Tamás © Hudák Tamás © Nestor Tamás © Gór Ádám © Hudák Tamás Lycaena tityrus (female) Melitaea aurelia Melitaea diamina Lycaenidae! © Hudák Tamás © Gór Ádám © Káldi József Melitaea athalia Hamearis lucina Riodinidae! Melitaea britomartis © Hudák Tamás © Hudák Tamás Araschnia levana Hamearis lucina Riodinidae! © Nestor Tamás © Nestor Tamás © Káldi József © Káldi József © Káldi József © Nestor Tamás © Káldi József © Nestor Tamás © Káldi József © Nestor Tamás Two species are shown on these 10 pictures. Which specimens belong to each species? What might be the keys? © Nestor Tamás © Nestor Tamás © Káldi József © Káldi József © Nestor Tamás © Káldi József