A. crataegi

Hawthorn — Aporia crataegi L. Order of Lepidopteran insects, family-whiteflies (Pieridae). The wingspan is up to 3.5 cm. Butterflies fly out in June, eggs are laid in piles of 30-150 pieces on the leaves. Caterpillars appear at the end of summer and skeletonize the leaves; they spend the winter on trees in nests; in the spring they crawl out of them and eat buds, eat leaves, buds and flowers. The caterpillar is up to 45 mm long, grayish-brown with stripes on the back. After leaving the pupa, with the wings still wet, butterflies release a few drops of bright red liquid (meconium) from the posterior intestine. Produced by thousands of butterflies, this action gave rise to the popular superstition of "blood rain".
It is distributed in temperate and partly northern Eurasia, in North America.

The wingspan is up to 6.5 cm.
In places where this species is numerous, butterflies form large clusters not only during the period of emerging from pupae, but also throughout life. The frightened" crowd "of hawthorns is a real "blizzard" of butterflies!

Hawthorn — Aporia crataegi L. Order of Lepidopteran insects, family-whiteflies (Pieridae). It is widespread everywhere. It damages all fruit species, but is of great economic importance only near forest plantations, where it sometimes appears in large quantities. Hawthorn butterflies with white wings, up to 65 mm in span, their base, apex and veins are darkened, the chest and abdomen are black, with light hairs, and the antennae are club-shaped. Eggs are elongated, with 12-14 longitudinal ribs, golden yellow, always arranged in groups on the leaf, egg height 1.5 mm. The caterpillars have soft hairs densely covering the dorsal side, with three black and two brown-orange longitudinal stripes; the latter are located between the first, the sides and underparts are gray, the head, thoracic and anal segments are black. Adult caterpillars are up to 45 mm long. Pupae are angular, yellowish-white or gray, with black dots and spots, up to 20 mm long. Caterpillars of the third instar spend the winter in nests of damaged leaves connected by a web and attached to branches. In one nest there are from 30 to 60 caterpillars. In spring, they make nests early and feed first on swollen buds, and then on leaves, buds and flowers. For the first time after leaving the nest, they stay in groups nearby and take shelter and shelter from the weather. Older caterpillars live alone. During the period of ovary formation (May), pupation occurs openly, usually on branches, less often on trunks, hedges, walls. Pupae in a vertical position are attached with a belt or web. Pupal development lasts about two weeks. Butterfly flight occurs in June-July. Females lay their eggs mainly on the upper side of the leaves, placing them in piles from 30 to 150. Each female can lay up to 500 eggs. Their development lasts 10-15 days. After leaving the eggs, the caterpillars are kept in a group and feed on neighboring leaves, skeletonizing them. Before the onset of autumn cold weather, they reach the third age, arrange nests of 2-3 damaged leaves, form dense cocoons in them, in which they spend the winter. Damaging the buds in early spring, and later the leaves of many fruit trees (apple, pear, plum, apricot), hawthorn causes great harm to garden plantations. Bacterial preparations, in particular Lepidocide – 1 kg(l)/ha, Bitoxybacillin – 2-3 kg/ha are effective against young hawthorn caterpillars.

Belarus, sanatorium "Belino" near Borisov.
14.06.2012

Pictures:

IMG_135833.JPG — (101.92к)