Butterflies in the Philippines Essay Sample
The Philippine archipelago has one of the richest diversenesss of works and carnal species in the universe. In fact. of the Philippines’ about 21. 000 recorded insect species. about 70 per centum can merely be found in the Philippines.
The Philippines besides has the highest concentration of butterflies in the universe. There are more than 900 butterfly species recorded in the Philippines and about 352 species are endemic to the state. In Bohol entirely. more than 300 species of butterflies can be found.
The butterfly species int he Philippines are largely from five households under the order Lepidoptera. Namely. they are: Hesperiidae ( skippers or skipper butterflies ) . Lycaenidae ( gossamer-winged butterflies ) . Nymphalidae ( brush-footed or quadrupedal butterflies ) . Papilionidae ( swallowtail butterflies ) . and Pieridae.
Skipper butterflies. or more popularly known as skippers. are alleged because of their quick. fliting flight wonts. Another alone feature of these butterflies is that their aerial nines are curved backwards. shaped like a crochet hook. They besides have stockier organic structures and big compound eyes. Their wings are besides proportionate to their organic structure size. although there are some species who have larger flying sizes. Most have dull colours of brown. black. white and Grey. although there are some species who have chromaticities of ruddy. yellow and blue. These features make them look more like moths than the other butterfly species from other households.
Fig 1. A skipper butterfly looking more like a moth.
Members of the household Lycaenidae are called gossamer-winged butterflies because their wings are normally of bright colourss with metallic-like rubric. Another specifying feature of these butterflies is that most species have one or two musca volitanss at the base of their tail. which resembles their caput. This allows them to confound incoming marauders from acknowledging their true caput orientation. therefore leting them to observe their marauders early and flight.
Fig 2. Lampides boeticus with its “false head” at the base of its tail and wings.
The Lycaenidae household of butterflies constitute the scond largest household of butterflies. with over 5. 000 species worldwide. About 40 % per centum of known butterfly species belong to this household.
Brush-footed ( or four-footed ) butterflies make up the household Nymphalidae. which is the largest household of butterflies in the universe. with over 6. 000 species. Unlike butterflies from Lycaenidae. these butterflies are much in bigger in size. One specifying feature of this household of butterflies is that most of them hold their wings level when resting. Another alone feature of theirs is that although most have brilliantly colored fore-wings. their underwings are different-looking. The underwings have dull colour that help them in intermixing in with their milieus and therefore avoid being eaten by their marauders.
Fig 3. A brush-footed butterly concealment among dead foliages
Swallowtail butterflies are big. colourful butterflies belonging to the household Papilionidae and they’re found in every continent. except Antarctica. In fact. the largest butterflies in the universe belong to this household. And some are even found in the Philippines. like the Magellan Birdwing.
Possibly the most of import specifying feature of these butterflies is the presence of the osmeterium. The osmeterium is a repugnatorial organ located in the prothorax of all Papilionid caterpillars. While it is usually concealed. the larva Everts by make fulling it with blood whenever it feels threatened. It is heavy. forked. and emits smelly secernments that the larva usage to smear unto its aggressor.
Fig 4. A close up of the to the full everted osmeterium
Other specifying features of swallow-tailed coats are that the sclerites of their neck are fused beneath the cervix. and besides they have alone venations in their fore-wings that can merely be seen in species belonging to this household.
