What are the natural enemies of butterflies?

Butterflies are classified as Lepidoptera and have evolved and pollinated with flowering plants as food since the Cretaceous. Butterflies are the last species in the evolution of insects. The main natural enemies in nature are ants, beetles, birds, flies, lizards, frogs, toads, mantis, spiders, wasps, parasites and so on. Let's take a look at these natural enemies of butterflies.

Ant

Ant is a kind of insect, belonging to the family Hymenoptera, Arthropoda, with a wide variety of species. it is known that there are more than 11700 species, 21 subfamilies and 283 genera in the world, and more than 600 species of ants have been identified in China. Recently, new species of ants with asexual reproduction have been discovered, with a long life span, workers can survive for several weeks to 3 ~ 10 years, queens can survive for several years or even ten years, and an ant nest can grow for several years or even more than ten years in one place.

Beetle

The general name of Coleoptera insects belongs to winged subclass and total metamorphosis, with a hard shell on the outside of the body, the front wing is horny, thick and hard, and the hind wing is membranous, such as beetles, longicorn beetles, weevil, etc., most species belong to worldwide distribution. Many species in this order are important pests of agricultural and forestry crops, which are closely related to the economic interests of human beings.

Birds

Most birds are omnivorous and are not very picky. Every spring and autumn, birds fly in groups to hide the sun from the sky. This seasonal phenomenon of changing habitats in different seasons, moving from nesting sites to overwintering sites, or returning to nesting sites from overwintering places is called bird migration, and spring returns every year. Birds begin to engage in a series of activities such as courtship, reproduction, nesting, hatching and brooding.

Fly

The word "fly" means "eat less but reproduce more". The original meaning of "fly" means "eat less and reproduce more insects". The general name of Diptera suborder Muscidae is about 3000 species in the world and more than 500 species in China. This family is divided into several subfamilies, most of which are non-blood-sucking, while the sting fly subfamily is blood-sucking. The main difference between the two types lies in the mouthparts.

Lizard

Lizards, commonly known as "four-legged snakes", also known as "snake aunts", are distributed all over the world, belonging to cold-blooded reptiles. There are about 3000 species distributed on the earth, and more than 3000 species are known in China, most of which are carnivorous, feeding on insects, earthworms, snails, and even mice, but also cactus or seaweed as the staple food, or omnivorous.

Frogs

Frogs belong to amphibians, adults are basically tailless, eggs are generally laid in water, hatch into tadpoles, breathe with gills, after metamorphosis, adults mainly breathe with lungs, but most of the skin also has partial respiratory function, including frogs and toads. There is no strict difference between these two kinds of animals, and some families include two species at the same time.

Mantis

Mantis is a carnivorous insect, hunting all kinds of insects and small animals, in the field and forest areas can destroy many pests, so it is a beneficial insect. Brutal and aggressive by nature, lack of food often swallows the small and eats male and female, and individual species distributed in South America and Southeast Asia can attack small animals such as birds, lizards or frogs from time to time. There is a protective color, some and mimicry, similar to its environment, in order to prey on a variety of pests, movement is sensitive, hunting time is only 0.01 seconds, only eat live insects, and firmly clamp its prey with prickly forefeet. When frightened, he rustled his wings and showed a bright warning color.

spider

Spiders feed on insects, other spiders and polypods, and some spiders also feed on small animals. Jumping spiders have good eyesight and can catch prey within 30 centimeters and swoop. Crab spiders wait for their prey on flowers of similar color. Ground spiders living in the soil build silk-lined caves with lids that open at night to prey on insects passing through the hole. The funnel spider weaves a funnel web, which causes vibration when the insect falls into the net. It lives in the silk tube, and the end is narrow and leads into plants or stone crevices.

Wasp

Wasps, also known as wasps, etc., are widely distributed, diverse and fast-flying insects, belonging to the family Vespidae of Hymenoptera. Female wasps have a powerful long stinging needle, which will attack in groups when they encounter attack or unfriendly interference. It can cause allergic and toxic reactions, and in serious cases, it can lead to death. It usually uses soft pulp-like wood pulp to build nests and feed on animal or plant food.

Parasitic wasp

Parasitic wasps are the most common kind of parasitic insects. different from predatory insects, parasitic insects are generally adults actively looking for hosts. When the host is found, the eggs are laid in the body, and the larvae hatch and feed on the nutrition of the host. Symbiosis with the host for a period of time makes the host die, can not take the initiative to find food.