Butterflies of the World - Lifecycle, Ecology, Taxonomy, Conservation, Photography, Butterfly Holidays, Photo Galleries, Book Reviews and more.........
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Strategies for Survival PAGE 2
 
Butterflies occur in an incredible variety of sizes, shapes, colours and patterns. Each design serves a dual role. Firstly it must act as a "badge", identifying the butterfly to potential mates. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it must function to protect the butterfly from predators, either by using camouflage, warning coloration, mimicry or transparency.
 
PAGE 1 - MATE RECOGNITION
PAGE 2 - CAMOUFLAGE and DISGUISE
PAGE 3 - APOSEMATIC COLOURATION
PAGE 4 - MIMICRY
PAGE 5 - SEXUAL DIMORPHISM
PAGE 6 - ROOSTING BEHAVIOUR
 
 
 
Camouflage and Disguise
cryptic patterns, disguise and transparency to conceal butterflies from predators
 
 
Green hairstreak Callophrys rubi at rest on green foliage.

Butterflies use many means to hide themselves from predators. Sometimes, as with the neotropical metalmarks ( Riodinidae ), they simply hide under leaves, out of sight. Most other species rest in more open situations though, and conceal themselves using techniques such as camouflage, disguise or disruptive coloration.

The boundary between camouflage and disguise is hard to define, but camouflage is generally considered to describe something with a colour, pattern and texture that enables it to blend well against a natural background or substrate. Butterflies rest on many different substrates including foliage, soil, rocks and tree trunks - and various species possess colours and patterns which match each of these backgrounds.

Disguise on the other hand describes a butterfly or moth that has a similar appearance to another natural object, such as a leaf or flower. Moths often have very effective disguises - some which rest on tree trunks resemble bits of lichen, others resemble bits of broken twig. The caterpillars of many Geometrid moths look exactly like twigs, and even have small projecting false "thorns".

Camouflage

Amongst British butterflies the Orange tip Anthocharis cardamines is a good example, difficult to spot when at rest on the white flowers of garlic mustard.

Orange tip Anthocharis cardamines, well camouflaged at rest on garlic mustard flowers.

Disguise

The Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, is a superb example of disguise, being coloured and shaped like a living leaf, complete with raised "veins".

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, perfectly disguised as a leaf.
 
In the tropics there are many species which are disguised as dead brown leaves - examples include the Leaf butterfly Kallima inachus from India, and the Memphis and Marpesia Leafwing butterflies of South America.
 
Marpesia furcula, a Peruvian species convincingly disguised as a dead leaf.

Disruptive coloration

This term is used to describe the way in which a butterfly or moth's appearance is visually broken up, usually by means of mottling and / or prominent lines.

The Angle Shades moth Phlogophora meticulosa is a good example - it is equally well concealed when settled amongst dead vegetation or fallen branches.

Predators - particularly birds, use a "search image" to locate resting moths. They look out for a "moth shaped" object, but the disruptive pattern of the Angle Shades breaks up it's outline and foils the bird's search image.

Angle Shades moth Phlogophora meticulosa, Hampshire, England.
 
Hylephila peruana, a skipper from Peru. The disruptive patterning makes it very difficult to detect amongst the dry grasslands of it's habitat in the Andes.
 
Grayling Hipparchia semele, perfectly disguised at rest on dead wood
 
Transparency
 
The colours of butterflies are produced by pigments in the wings scales, and sometimes structurally, by light refracting on prism-like ridges on the surface of the scales. Some species however are very thinly scaled, or lack wing scales almost entirely, revealing the transparent membrane of the wings.
 
Butterflies which use transparency to conceal themselves include the Ithomiine Glasswings and certain neotropical Satyrines such as Cithaerias pireta and Dulcedo polita. There are representatives from other families as well, e.g. the Chorinea metalmarks ( Riodinidae ) of South America, and the Lamproptera dragontails
( Papilionidae ) of Malaysia.
 
Cithaerias pireta aurora, Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru
 
NEXT >>
 
 
Related subjects :
 
Taxonomy  - the classification and characteristics of butterfly families and sub-families.
Lifecycle - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult butterfly, courtship, reproduction.
Parasitoids and Predators - of eggs, larvae, pupae and adult butterflies.
 
Text and butterfly photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
Website designed, produced and owned by Adrian Hoskins