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The earliest known butterfly fossils are from the mid Eocene epoch, between 40-50 million years ago. [ 1 ] [ dubious – discuss ] Their development is closely linked to the evolution of flowering plants, since both adult butterflies and caterpillars feed on flowering plants.
Caterpillars are also affected by a range of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases, and only a small percentage of the butterfly eggs laid ever reach adulthood. [79] The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been used in sprays to reduce damage to crops by the caterpillars of the large white butterfly, and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria ...
Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, [3] [4] is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. [5]
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Members of the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae, the genus is represented by about 17 species. Two very similar and coexisting genera are Tanaecia (the viscounts and earls) and Euthalia (the barons and counts), the latter previously including some Lexias species. The largest species reach a wingspan of about 10 cm (4 in).
The name "butterfly" is believed to have originated from a member of this family, the brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni, which was called the "butter-coloured fly" by early British naturalists. [ 2 ] The sexes usually differ, often in the pattern or number of the black markings.
The caterpillar will reach a length of 5 cm (2 in). The common wood-nymph caterpillar is very similar to satyr caterpillars in the genera Hermeuptychia, Cyllopsis, and Neonympha. It can be separated by its larger size and habitat. [9] The pale green chrysalis is striped in white or pale yellow. The first instar caterpillar hibernates. [4]
They are generally weak fliers and often shun bright sunlight, preferring moist and semishaded habitats. The caterpillars feed chiefly on monocotyledonous plants such as palms, grasses, and bamboos. The Morphinae are sometimes united with this group. The taxonomy and systematics of the subfamily are under heavy revision.