Names and photos of the most beautiful butterflies in the world

Butterflies, due to their resemblance to flowers, are rightfully considered one of the most beautiful animals on Earth. These insects are all beautiful, but there are the most beautiful butterflies in the world that fit into the top ten.

1. Atlas (Prince of Darkness)

Atlas is the leader in the top ten in terms of beauty. The wing shape of this butterfly resembles a snake's head, which camouflages it from insectivores. The caterpillars of this individual feed on leaves, and when they turn into butterflies, they live off the accumulated substances. Therefore, beautiful Atlases do not live long - only ten days. Quite a large night butterfly - the size reaches several tens of centimeters. It lives in the tropical and subtropical latitudes of China, on the island of Java, as well as Indonesia, Thailand and Southeast Asia. The prince of darkness received a second name due to the fact that he prefers to be active at night.

One of the most beautiful specimens among all representatives of butterflies. It rightfully occupies the second place in the ranking. Its wingspan is 9 cm. The scales of the wings of Urania are individually multi-colored, and together they create an unusual and unique pattern in beauty. The edges of the wings are painted white. Unusual ornament and color protects from enemies. He warns that urania is a poisonous insect. The diurnal butterfly loves to be active during daylight hours. Closer to the night, a flock of beauties gather in a certain shelter for the night.

In third place is the Birdwing of Queen Alexandra. This specimen is sought after by collectors all over the world. This butterfly lives in New Guinea. Males of an amazing insect are much more attractive than females. Their wings are painted in green-blue and black colors and look like narrow leaves of plants against a dark background. The color of females is more modest, but females are larger than males. Their wingspan can reach 28 centimeters.

In fourth place is Maak's Sailboat. In Russia, this insect is considered the largest among butterflies, whose wingspan reaches 13.5 centimeters. Maak's sailboat received a different name - the Blue Swallowtail. Males are predominantly black and green, but females are so diverse in color that it is impossible to find two identical ones. Butterflies like to gather in flocks after rain and sit on wet plants. If you scare them away, you can see a “cloud” of emerald hue, stunning in its beauty, that flies up.

The fifth line is occupied by Glory of Butane. This is a diurnal butterfly with a wingspan of 13 cm, which are slightly rounded at the top, and at the bottom are divided into three small tails. The number of individuals of this species is small, so the insect is listed in the Red Book. The main shade of the coloring is dark blue. There are black beauties with yellow stripes that vertically cross the entire perimeter of the wings. Glory of butane lives in Northern India and Thailand. Her natural habitat is also in Southeast Asia, as well as Bhutan. These insects live up to three weeks.

The sixth place in the top ten is occupied by the Madagascar comet or Saturnia, as it is also called. The longest butterfly has an orange wing color with brown rounded spots resembling the shape of the eyes. Behind the wings is a tail, the length of which reaches 20 cm. But it falls off after a few flights. The Madagascar comet does not live long, only a few days. Such a short lifespan is due to the lack of digestive organs. And the beauties survive due to the accumulated nutrients, when the butterfly was still a caterpillar. The island of Madagascar is the comet's natural habitat. The locals believe that these insects bring good luck.

Seventh place went to one of the most beautiful butterflies - Admiral. She earned her name by the presence of bright red stripes on her black wings. The wingspan of this insect reaches 6 cm. It can live for 9 months. The champion of flights, because he flies to Africa from Eurasia for the winter. At the same time, Admirals migrate not in packs, but one by one. Therefore, they are also called travel butterflies. The diurnal Lepidoptera can live up to three weeks. Adult insects love to eat nettles, as well as thistles. The admiral can be seen on the forest edges, and on the banks near water bodies, as well as mountain meadows. Except on the Eurasian continent, this beautiful insect lives in North America and on many islands of the Atlantic.

The eighth line is rightfully occupied by the beautiful Morpho Peleida, whose name literally translates as “beauty”. It has a unique bright blue color. There are very noticeable white spots on the border of the wings. Thanks to this coloring, this butterfly attracts individuals of the opposite sex and repels natural enemies. Morpho does not live long - only two weeks. Males do not like loneliness and live in groups. South American Indians believe that Morphos are the souls of the dead. The insect lives in Southeast Asia, as well as Central and South America. This butterfly is quite large - the wingspan is 12 cm.

The ninth place in the dozens of the most beautiful butterflies is rightfully occupied by Greta Oto. In another way, the representative of an amazing species is called the Glass Butterfly. Transparent wings have a red or dark border and create a visual effect of glass or crystal. Wingspan up to 5 cm. Greta Oto lives in Mexico, as well as Argentina. The beautiful toiler pollinates most species of local plants and can fly up to 12 km per day. The glass butterfly feeds on poisonous vegetation, therefore it becomes an uninteresting object of hunting for natural enemies.

Top ten closes the Peacock eye. The wings of this beautiful butterfly are brightly colored, and along the edges there are four light spots that are very similar to the eyes - hence the name. Peacock eye - nocturnal butterfly. She has the best sense of smell among the representatives of this order of insects. The male smells the female for ten kilometers. This butterfly lives for about 9 months. The peacock's eye hibernates, hiding in the bark of trees. There, a beautiful insect is waiting for the arrival of spring. It lives throughout Eurasia. The Peacock eye settles everywhere, if only plants bloomed in these places. He does not like only North Africa.