The birch moth is a pest butterfly. She is well known to gardeners in our country, as more than one crop of fruit trees has disappeared through her fault. Fortunately, today scientists have well studied the habits of this insect, which allowed it to be effectively combated.
Who is who?
Butterfly birch moth got its name due to appearance. The thing is that dark spots are scattered in a chaotic manner on her white body. A similar color is similar to that of the birch bark. Otherwise, it is not much different from representatives of a huge family of moths.
Habitat
The birch moth is a very numerous species. Its representatives can be found practically throughout Europe. The only exception is the Far North, as the climate prevailing there is completely unsuitable for its lifestyle. The same rule applies to Russian lands.
It should be understood that for the survival of this insect trees are extremely important. Therefore, it is trying to settle in areas where there is excellent access to them. Ideal environments are fruit plantations or forests. However, if there are none, then the birch moth can easily do with a city park or square.
Insect appearance
The moth is a small butterfly with a rather thick body. The wingspan in adults is 4-5 cm. It is curious that initially all butterflies of this species had a light gray color with many dark pigments. However, in recent years, their color has undergone major changes. So, the birch moth became much darker, and once clear spots even began to merge with the body.
The reason for this was evolution: because of life in the city, butterflies were forced to adapt to the colors of the world, because otherwise they would become easy prey for birds. Those insects that live in the forest still remain faithful to their old war paint.
By the way, such metamorphoses are very useful for environmental studies. By observing the color of the butterflies, they can determine how polluted their region is. Given this, it is nice to realize that even the most malicious pest has its positive aspects.
Butterfly Breeding Period
With the advent of May, the mating season begins at the birch moths. Intoxicated by pheromones, they flock to each other and begin to circle in a ritual dance. And if the partner is suitable for the female, then soon they will have an act of intercourse. It lasts only a fraction of a second, but this is enough to pollinate the thousands of eggs that the "lady" has.
After that, the birch moth searches for a safe place for future offspring. Often this is a crack in the bark of a tree or a small hole in its trunk. On average, one female can lay from 700 to 2000 eggs. And just imagine how much food this colony needs at the moment of its awakening!
In addition, caterpillars develop throughout the summer. That is, they have three whole months to ruin the local gardens. And only with the advent of autumn they burrow into the ground, where they turn into pupae. And in the spring, the whole process of metamorphosis is repeated again in a circle drawn over the centuries.
Tree Defiler
The caterpillar of the birch moth butterfly is one of the most dangerous pests living on the territory of the Russian Federation. Hatching from an egg, it begins to eat everything that meets on the way, whether it be leaves, buds, buds, flowers or fruits. And given their number, it is easy to guess that literally in one day they can destroy a good part of the greenery on the tree.
Therefore, gardeners try to pre-process their trees so that they are not attacked by omnivorous caterpillars. In addition, in this difficult struggle, some species of birds come to the rescue. Indeed, if adult butterflies are protected by a camouflage color, then their offspring is a lighter and more nutritious gain.
