Description and photo of the caterpillar of the peacock eye

The peacock butterfly is one of the most beautiful on the planet. The moth belongs to the nifalid family. Distributed almost everywhere, it is not in Africa, in deserts, areas of the far north. Most of these insects are in Germany. The caterpillar of the peacock butterfly is not as harmful as the larvae of many other butterflies, dangerous for raspberries.

The appearance of the caterpillar

The larva of a peacock eye is a black caterpillar similar to urticaria larvae. It is very beautiful and interesting. caterpillar tracks. Throughout the body are long processes that look like needles. In appearance, the body is covered with numerous pimples. The color does not give out their parents - colorful, bright moths with a predominance of red shades.

The caterpillar of a peacock-eye has a head, belly, and chest. The oral apparatus and the digestive system are well developed, provide almost continuous nutrition. Due to this, the caterpillar peacock eye is growing rapidly.

The light appears miniature - about 1 mm. For the entire development cycle - from 4 to 6 weeks, sheds four times. Constantly increasing in size. The durable black chitinous cover does not show through the food, which is characteristic of other larvae of butterflies and moths. From the inside of the body there are legs that allow the peacock eye crawlers to crawl along the bark of trees and leaves.

The caterpillar of the peacock eye is shown in the photo below.

Caterpillars peacock eyes

Fertilization period

Female overwinters in the cracks of outbuildings, in the foliage, under the forest floor.With the onset of heat, it gets out, lays eggs of a light green color. For one laying reproduces about 300 pieces. Places groups in the back of the leaves of nettle. After a month and a half, a young generation of females, males, ready to mate, appears.

The breeding season falls to the end of April, May. With warm, humid weather, the next breeding stage is carried out at the end of July, in August. Caterpillars turn into butterflies peacock eye by the end of October, looking for a favorable place for wintering. The adult female lives about 20 days, not taking into account the winter, the male is half as large.

Interesting!

The behavior of males and females is somewhat different. The female peacock eye prefers to be nocturnal, the male flies during the day.

Development of larvae

Feeding the peacock eyes

The peacock butterfly caterpillar develops under favorable conditions for 4 weeks. As the butterfly lays its eggs on nettles, feed the caterpillars most often the leaves of this plant. They live in groups, but they crawl all over the plant. Less commonly, the larva moves to other plants:

• willow;
• raspberries;
• common hops;
• hemp.

At the last stage, the caterpillar peacock eye turns into a pupa. At this stage, development continues up to 2 weeks. Depending on which part of the plant the leaf or stem is attached to the pupa, the color changes. In the first case, greenish. In the second - brown.

Inside, complex processes take place, as a result of which one of the most beautiful butterflies on Earth emerges from an unpleasant black larva.

Sabotage

Insect does not cause any special harm at any stage of the life cycle. Peacock moths feed on plant nectars. Prefer burdock, thistle, thyme, scabiosa. They often sit on the garden, ornamental flowers, thereby contributing to pollination.

Caterpillars feed on nettle leaves, which also does not cause any inconvenience. The plant is widespread in large quantities. And only if the caterpillars are started on raspberries, the garden culture can suffer with a strong infection.

On a note!

The peacock eye, despite its large number, needs protection, is listed in the Red Book.

Bad cousin

Pear peacock eye and its caterpillars

Peacock-eye pear or large night peacock eye.Activates its activities with the onset of twilight. Both butterfly and caterpillar are different in appearance. Large moth with a wingspan of up to 155 mm. The color range is white, brown, black. On the wings of a characteristic eye.

Caterpillars develop from June to August. Large, green, body in blue warts, processes. The female lays eggs on fruit trees, after the birth of the larvae actively begin to feed, and this causes irreparable damage. Despite this, the peacock-eye pear is also listed in the Red Book.

Pests affect the apple tree, pear, plum, walnut, cherry, sloe, less often ash, elm. Damage to trees with a large number of caterpillars. Hibernates in the pupal stage, sometimes twice, if adverse conditions do not allow the butterfly to go outside.

Interesting!

Females are less mobile, their main task is to lay eggs up to 400 pieces at a time. Males are active even in the daytime, capable of flying the smell of female pheromones over a distance of 10 km. Such an opportunity to the female individuals is provided by a mustache; if they are torn off, the insect will remain helpless, it will soon die.

Females live for about 20 days, at the end of their ability to reproduce eggs is minimized - 3 pieces at a time. Males live a short time - 8 days, die soon after fertilization.