Butterflies are one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. They look like fresh flowers. Not for nothing from ancient times, these winged insects were associated with spring, beauty, eternity, the rebirth of the soul. The Italians called them "flowers torn by the wind." True, in Russia it was believed that witches turn into butterflies after death. After all, only they could take on the appearance of such beauty. And in Asian countries, this is not just a beautiful creature, but also a delicacy.
The beauty of butterflies is created by the scales that cover their wings. The scales have ribbed walls, and when sunlight hits them and refracts, various colors appear.
It was external data that raised these insects to the pinnacle of popularity among collectors. About 200 thousand species of Lepidoptera are known, and the most beautiful butterflies in the world presented in our ranking.
10. Peacock eye
Opens the top ten most beautiful winged insects. Peacock eye. Its small wings, the span of which can reach no more than 5.5 cm, have a very bright color. On a bright red background, four rainbow spots resembling eyes were located at the edges. The peacock eye lives for about 9 months. For wintering, he goes to the crevices of the tree bark, where he waits for the arrival of warm pores.
9. Greta Oto
Greta Oto or Glass Butterfly - one of the most amazing species of winged insects. Greta Oto received the second name because of the transparency of the wings. In Argentina and Mexico, this is the most common butterfly. One of the smallest creatures has wings with a wingspan of 5 cm. Crystal-clear wings are decorated at the edges with a red or brown border. This species plays an important role in the ecosystem, as it is involved in pollination of most native plants. A feature of Greta Oto is that she prefers only poisonous vegetation as food. By accumulating many toxins in their small body, they become unattractive to insectivores. A glass butterfly can cover a distance of 12 km per day.
8. Morpho Peleida
Morpho Peleida, which, translated from Greek, means beauty, lives up to its name. Its brilliant, blue-blue color of the wings has a black border with pronounced white spots on the edges. The unique shade helps to attract individuals of the opposite sex and scare away hunters for it. Morpho's life is not long and averages 2 weeks. A feature of this species is that males prefer to live in groups.
7. Admiral
Among the most beautiful winged insects is a butterfly. Admiral, which got its name for bright red stripes on black velvety wings with white spots. This relatively small beauty has a wingspan of only 5-6 cm. A feature of the Admiral is that he makes long-distance flights in the fall, as he is heading to winter from Russia to Africa. The life span is about 9 months.
6. Madagascar comet
Madagascar comet is not only a real beauty, but also the longest butterfly in the world. Behind her bright orange wings with brown eyes are decorated with twenty-centimeter tails, which tend to fall off after just a few perfect flights. The life expectancy of the Madagascar comet is calculated in just a few days. This winged insect lacks the digestive system and mouth, since it feeds on the accumulated nutrients that it received as a caterpillar.
5. The glory of Bhutan
Mountain butterfly Glory to Bhutan ranks fifth in beauty among winged insects. Its amazing forms and peculiar color will not leave indifferent any esthete. The wingspan does not exceed 10 cm. Each wing has three fancy tails in the back, which gives the arthropod a special twist. Two bright red spots on the back warn the winged hunters that they are inedible. The glory of Bhutan has the ability to fold the rear wings under the front, which makes it almost invisible. In India, this species of butterflies is under protection.
4. Sailboat Maak
Sailboat Maak or Blue Swallowtail - not only one of the most beautiful butterflies, but also the largest in Russia. The habitat is Sakhalin. Males have an incredibly beautiful color, shimmering with a dark green tint, against which black fields appear. Often males form clusters and settle near streams and rivers or on wet roads, after rain. An alarming flock soaring into the sky forms an amazing sight from an iridescent dark green cloud.
3. Birdwing Queen Alexandra
Opens the top three Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, which is considered one of the most valuable items among collectors. The habitat of the insect is New Guinea. Males are considered more beautiful than females, thanks to their amazing coloring, which attracts the attention of not only females, but also esthetes among people. Their wings shimmer with the most delicate shades of green-blue color and resemble the graceful, narrow leaves of a strange plant. Females cannot boast of such beauty. In size, they are much larger than males - during flight they are able to create a wingspan of up to 28 cm.
2. Urania Madagascar
One of the most beautiful beautiful creatures of nature is a butterfly. Urania Madagascar. These are rather large flying insects with a wingspan of up to 9 cm. Under the magnifying glass, you can see that the wings of Urania are multi-colored scales that together form an amazing rainbow pattern. At the edges of the wings there is a white edging that gives a special individuality and originality to the appearance of the butterfly. Its bright, unusual coloring is a protective element from those who want to hunt for it. An unusual color signals to the insectivore that these individuals are poisonous. Uranias love daylight hours and are active during the day. In the evening, a flock of beauties gathers in one place for the night.
1. Atlas
Rating the most beautiful butterflies topped Atlas or Prince of Darkness. Atlas prefers to lead an active existence in the dark, which is why he received the second name. It is also the largest insect of its family. The wingspan of it can reach several tens of centimeters. The color and shape of the wings resembles the head of a snake. Thus, the Prince scares away animals that are not averse to eating insects. His life span is only a ten-day period. Being a caterpillar, it actively replenishes its body with nutrients, due to which it will exist, turning into a butterfly.