Insects are the largest group of living things on Earth and one good example of insects is butterfly. It has been accustomed among the public and science due to their striking colors and elegant flight (Perveen & Fazal, 2013). Butterflies are defined as flying insects with large wings that are usually colourful and attractive. It is known as the most effective pollinators of flowers besides moths and bees (Perveen & Fazal, 2013). Flower is the main food source for butterflies (Abang, 2006). Quinn and Klym (2009) stated that railway and power line right-of-ways, deserted fields and along dirt roads are among the many habitats of butterflies. The exact number of the types of butterfly that exist is still unknown. However, butterflies can be classified into three categories: Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies), Lycaenidae (Gosaemer-Wings), and Hesperiidae (skippers).
The first type of butterfly is the Nymphalidae. According to Abang (2006), Nymphalidae is also known as four-footed butterflies and these types of butterflies are usually medium or large in size and most of them are brightly coloured. They get their name from their look, which is more like a brush and they walk and stand mainly using their back pair of legs. Nymphalidae are sunshine lovers and many of them fly with typical nymphalid flight. This type of butterfly includes the monarch, the blue morphos, and the fritillaries (Wahlberg, 2006). Durden and Rose (1978) stated that the handful of fossils available suggests that butterflies are relatively young, with the oldest fossil dated at 48 million years belonging to the family Papilionidae.
The quino checkerspot butterfly (QCB) is an example of species under the family Nymphalidae. However, this species was listed as...
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Perveen, F., & Fazal, F. (2013). Biology and distribution of butterfly fauna of Hazara University, Garden Campus, Mansehra, Pakistan. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 3(2A), 28-36.
Quinn, M., & Klym, M. (2009). An Introduction to Butterfly Watching. Austin, Texas: Texas State Publications Clearinghouse.
Thomas, J. A., Thomas, C. D., Simcox, D.J. & Clarke, R.T. (1986). Ecology and declining status of the silver-spotted skipper butterfly (Hesperia comma) in Britain. Journal of Applied Ecology, 23, 365–380.
Tiple, A. D., and Khurad, A. M. (2009). Butterfly species diversity, habitats and seasonal distribution in and around Nagpur City, Central India. World Journal of Zoology. 4(3), 153-162.
Wahlberg, N. (2006). That awkward age for butterflies: Insights from the age of the butterfly subfamily Nymphalinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Systematic biologists. 55(5), 704.
..., Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, Available from Journal of Insect Physiology. (46 (2000) 655–661)Retrieved from http://www.units.muohio.edu/cryolab/publications/documents/IrwinLee00.pdf
Alvarez, Julia. In the time of the butterflies. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2010. Print.
Monarch Butterflies and Butterfly Weed, a type of milkweed, have coevolved as plant and pollinator. This means that they both rely on one another to survive. Milkweed is the primary source of nutrition for monarchs. Monarchs only eat Asclepias tuberosa a particular species of Milkweed. The monarch relies on toxins in the milkweed to fend off predators such as birds. The toxic tendencies of the milkweed plants caused the government to attempt o eradicated the plant along roadsides and in cow pastures. This has caused a major decline in population of milkweed, which is also endangering monarchs. Milkweed relies on the monarch to pollinate it so that it can reproduce.
It’s light blue wings flutter softly as it flies from Lupine plant to Lupine plant. Icaricia icarioides missionensis ( Mission Blue Butterfly) was discovered in 1937. Icaricia icarioides missionensis is native to the San Francisco Bay Area of California. It has lost most of it habitat in the region to development , and is thus limited to residing only in the Twin Peaks of San Francisco, Fort Baker in Marin County, and San Bruno Mountain in San Mateo County. Human beings are the main reason for the decline in the Mission Blue’s natural habitat. If something is not done to prevent further damage, and reverse the previous, Icaricia icarioides missionensis will be in danger of becoming extinct. Various wildlife preservation organizations, such as the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, have come up with several methods for attempting to recover the Mission Blue population.
ImageText BoxImageOne of the biggest threats to the environment of Ontario is the Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar). The species itself is native to Europe and Asia. How this affects us is by weakening trees across Ontario and North America. The first time the gypsy moth was found in Ontario was 1969. The gypsy moth can be found in southern Canada (Ontario), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. It is known to weaken trees and the caterpillar form live in trees and during most outbreaks its caterpillar feces would fall from the trees to the ground or even on top of humans. The average Gypsy Caterpillar can grow 5-6 centimeters long. With five pairs of blue spots and six pairs of bright red dots on their back. The female moth are white and can fly on the other hand, the male moth are brown and can also fly. The female have a 5cm wing span but male have a 2.5cm wing span. The gypsy moth usually lives in open forests and other forests and take up at least 20% of the space. The Gypsy moth are about 4cm long, tan coloured and can be located on tree trunks, furniture, and buildings. (OFAH Invading Species Awareness Program, 2012)
Every day many species are slowly becoming either endangered or extinct and recently an endangered bird species called piping plovers, started nesting on Revere Beach. What would seem as a miraculous discovery, many are averse to their new inhabitants on the beach. Many Revere residents are complaining because the piping plovers now occupy parts of “their” beach. But in the article “Revere Beach should welcome the piping plover” The Editorial Board believes that the presence of the piping plover could be greatly beneficial to the city of Revere and I certainly agree. What led me to select this particular article is my concern for the many endangered species in the world like the piping plover. Human hands have led many species to become endangered
Soule, Michael E et al. “Ecological Effectiveness: Conservation Goals for Interactive Species.” Conservation Biology 17.5 (2003) : 1238-1250.
Hopkins, in the east Kootenay region of British Columbia. I. Life cycle, brood development and flight periods. The Canadian Entomologist 94: 531- 538
The monarch butterfly, as known as Danaus plexippus, is often called the milkweed butterfly because its larvae eat the milkweed plant. They are also sometimes called "royalty butterflies" because their family name comes from the daughter of Danaus, ruler of Argos. There are many other interesting facts about this butterfly including its anatomy and life cycle, where the butterfly lies on the food chain, the migration from Canada to Mexico, why the butterfly is being threatened, and lastly, what is being done to help the butterfly.
Hummingbirds rely on plant nectar to supply the necessary energy for their highly energetically and expensive flying and feeding behaviors. Hummingbirds obtain energy from the nectar of flowers using their tongue and it is thought that up to half of the tongue is made up of cartilage making it easier to direct and control and in turn more efficiently eat. (Tamm, Gass 1986). Hummingbirds have the ability to drink their own weight in nectar only in a matter of hours (Tamm, Gass 1986) and in order to meet their daily energetic needs they must visit several thousand flowers a day (Tamm, Gass 1986).
Martinez, Elizabeth. “In The Time of the Butterflies.” The Progressive July 1995: 39+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2. 4 Dec 2013.
There are nearly one million species of insects known. Insects are defined by having six legs and a body divided into three segments: head, thorax, and abdomen. Chitin is an organic material that makes up an insects exoskeleton. There are three life cycles of insects, ametabolous or incomplete and paurometabolous or gradual, and homotabolous or complete metamorphosis. These life cycles are important in the aging of insects for aiding in legal investigations, (Houck and Siegel. Entomology).
Willmer, P.. Ecology: Pollinator – Plant Synchrony Tested by Climate Change. Current Biology. Volume 22, Issue 4, 21 Feb 2012, Pages R131 – R132.
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet. They occupy most of the habitat in the world. Insects have served as a model group of organisms for tackling many biological queries. Butterflies (Class: Insecta; Order: Lepidoptera) have been used as a model for studies on ecology, development and population dynamics. Most of the species are highly seasonal and some have very restricted habitats. Butterflies are good indicators of climate and help us understand fluctuations in seasonal changes. They require specific ecological conditions for their growth and development. Monitoring butterflies helps us understand the overall diversity of a habitat as they are directly dependent on other factors such as availability of host plants and nectar plants. They also play a very significant role in
Insect, small, air-breathing animal characterized by a segmented body with three main parts—head, thorax, and abdomen. In their adult forms, insects typically have three pairs of legs, one pair of antennae, and in most instances, two pairs of wings. Insects rank among the most successful animals on Earth. About one million species of insects have been identified so far, which is about half of all the animals known to science. That is why for every pound of human on the earth there are 10 pounds of insects. So that is why there are many reasons why insects are so successful, their exoskeleton, their size, their body function, the way they reproduce, and their development of metamorphosis.