Butterflies and Moths
Alex Latchininsky, UW Extension Entomologist
Cheyenne, January 22, 2007
INSECT ORDERS:
MAJOR GROUPS OF INSECTS
SHARING COMMON TRAITS
Order of Beetles
Hard shell front wings
Order of True flies
Only one pair of wings
WHAT IS THE COMMON TRAIT OF THE
ORDER OF BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS?
Scales on the Wings
x5,000
x20,000
x200
Butterflies Vs. Moths
antennae
clubbed
wings folded on back at rest
vertically
variable, but never clubbed
wings spread shingle-like
horizontally
Butterflies Vs. Moths
fly during the day
fly during the night
© A. Latchininsky 2006
slender-bodied
usually brightly colored
bodies stout and hairy
usually drab-colored
DRAB MOTHS?
Underwing moth
Tiger moth
Luna moth
How does the insect grow?
Cicada nymphs molting
Exoskeleton!
Adults
Life cycle (1) - Grasshoppers
Nymphal instars
Eggs
Adults
Life cycle (2) – Butterflies
Larva
Pupa
Egg
Adult
Swallowtails
Two-tailed Swallowtail
Swallowtails
Pale Tiger Swallowtail
Swallowtails
How many legs?
Where’s the tail?
Phoebus Parnassian
Brush-footed butterflies
How many legs does this Painted Lady butterfly have?
Weidemeyer’s Admiral
Red Admiral
Mourning Cloak
Milkweed butterflies
Monarch
Famous migrants
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Lesson of camouflage
Monarchs or impostors?
Caterpillar feeds
on milkweeds
Blues and Coppers
Larvae live inside ant hills
Satyrs and Skippers
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Chryxus Arctic
Skipper
The only butterfly families which are associated with grasses
Whites and Sulphurs
Alfalfa butterfly
Orange Sulphur
Larvae of many species damage crops or ornamentals
Casual guests or long-term tenants?
Cabbage white
Feeding (and camouflage)
Swallowtail larvae
Puss moth larva
Excellent pollinators
Clear-winged hawk moth
A lazy bee?
Hawk Moths
White-lined hawk moth
“Crepuscular hummingbirds”
5 in
Hawk moth “tongue” –
proboscis – is very
long, allowing it to get
nectar even from very
long flowers
Tree-killing moths
Western tent caterpillars
White Satin Moth – a New Pest in WY
Damages
Willows,
poplars,
aspen,
cottonwood trees
To Learn More:
Consult University of Wyoming
Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey
(CAPS) website:
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/CapsWeb
PEST ALERTS
WEED ALERTS
Giant Silk Moths
Cecropia moth
Polyphemus moth
8 in
The largest insects in Wyoming
Wyoming state insect?
Anicia Checkerspot
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Wyoming state butterfly?
Sheridan Hairstreak
Sheridan Hairstreak
Attracting butterflies
ADULTS: casual guests?
•
INCREASE STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY
• ROCKS
• PROVIDE A VARIETY OF HABITATS (SUNNY, SHADY…)
• OVERLAPPING BLOOM
• FLOWERS: RED, ORANGE, PURPLE AND YELLOW
• TUBULAR FLOWERS ARE BETTER
• BIG PATCHES ARE BETTER THAN SINGLE FLOWERS
LARVAE: long-term tenants?
•
KNOW FOOD PLANTS PREFERRED BY THE LARVAE
© A. Latchininsky 2006
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Adult butterflies
feed on nectar from
flowers, but their
larvae need foliage
to feed on
Goldenrod plant
Plants with bright
yellow, red, orange
or purple flowers
attract butterflies
and many other
beneficial insects
Flower fly
Foodplants of butterfly larvae
Milbert’s Tortoise:
Willow, sunflower
Red Admiral:
Nettles, hollyhocks
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Fritillaries:
Violets
Ruddy Copper:
Dock (Rumex)
Monarch:
Common milkweed
Pine Elfin:
Ponderosa ad
lodgepole pines
Foodplants of butterfly larvae
Weidemeyer’s Admiral:
aspen, willow, cottonwood
Two-Tailed Tiger:
wild cherry,
ornamental plums
and cherry, green ash
Cabbage White:
cabbage, broccoli, mustards,
cauliflower, ornamental kale
W. Tiger Swallowtail:
ash, wild cherry, aspen,
cottonwood, willow,
ornamental plums and
cherry (purple-leaved)
Painted Lady:
thistles, hollyhocks
Anise Swallowtail:
mountain parsley,
biscuit root
Foodplants of moth larvae
Grote’s Underwing:
willow
White-Lined Hawkmoth:
four-o-clocks, apple,
evening primrose
Relict Underwing:
willow, aspen
Glover’s Silkmoth:
gooseberry, willow
Hera Sheep moth:
sagebrush
Polyphemus moth:
red-twig dogwood,
willow
In Preparation:
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Field Guide to Common Wyoming Butterflies and Moths
The Guide will include pictures of adult butterflies and caterpillars, and
information on larval food plants, as well as advices on attracting
butterflies to gardens.
“Butterflowers”
Mini-Quiz: A Monarch or a Viceroy?
Viceroy
Wyoming
butterflies
University of Wyoming Insect Gallery
Questions?
Call Alex Latchininsky or
Scott Schell,
University of Wyoming
Extension Entomologists
766-2298 or 766-2508
latchini@uwyo.edu or
sschell@uwyo.edu