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Children of the Sun - Butterflies
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Children of the Sun - Butterflies

Introduction

The introduction provides an overview of the topic and raises questions about the secret behind butterflies' curious lifestyle.

Butterflies' Lifestyle

  • Butterflies are elegant, graceful, small, approachable, infinitely varied, and colorful creatures that fascinate and impress us.
  • These exquisite beings begin life as little more than worm-like creatures ever-hungry caterpillars that munch their way through our gardens.
  • What is the secret behind their curious lifestyle? And why do they use their wings not just for flight but as a canvas for some of the most striking patterns in nature?

Red Admiral Butterfly

This section focuses on a red admiral butterfly that has overwintered in a garden shed. It wakes up from its long sleep and tries to head towards the light.

Overwintering

  • A garden shed is an unlikely place for butterflies, yet it offers warmth and protection during colder months.
  • A red admiral butterfly has overwintered here and now stretches its wings as it wakes from a long sleep.
  • It tries to head towards the light.

Emperor Moth

This section focuses on a small emperor moth breaking out of its cocoon within the thorny branches of a blackthorn bush.

Breaking Out of Cocoon

  • Within the thorny branches of a blackthorn bush, something else is breaking out of its cocoon - a small emperor moth.
  • It climbs up the stem to pump up its wings. The feathery antennae indicate that it's male; he will use them to pick up the scent of a mate.
  • The larger cocoons are those of females; they will emerge a few days later. The female has large eye spots like males but not broad antennae. At the end of her abdomen, a special gland emits an enticing perfume that will attract males from several kilometers away.

Caterpillars

This section focuses on caterpillars and their feeding habits.

Feeding Habits

  • The small brightly colored male emperor moths waste little time; they have no mouth parts and can't feed, so they need to mate before their energy reserves run out.
  • A peacock butterfly has no such problems; it can refuel at any time and has come to the blackthorn bush to feed on its sweet nectar.
  • The female emperor moth will lay her eggs within hours of mating. Unlike males, she only really becomes active at night.
  • The common brimstone has come to this wet woodland to breed during the mating season. Males defend territories against rivals, but in the excitement, innocent passersby sometimes get caught in the crossfire.

Common Brimstone Butterfly

This section focuses on the common brimstone butterfly and its relationship with older buckthorn bushes.

Relationship with Buckthorn Bushes

  • The female deposits her eggs on an older buckthorn bush. The unassuming tree is crucial to the survival of her caterpillars.
  • When they hatch, the older buckthorn is the sole food plant of brimstone caterpillars. So plant and butterfly often go hand in hand.
  • After two weeks, the empty egg case is left behind. The caterpillar is already munching away on the leaves of its host plant and will increase its weight two thousand fold over the next month.
  • To avoid detection by predators, it often rests along the midrib of a leaf where it's difficult to spot.

Vaporomoth Caterpillar

This section focuses on the vaporomoth caterpillar and its feeding habits.

Feeding Habits

  • The hairy hatchlings of the vaporomoth first consume the remains of their egg cases. Then they spin a silk thread and climb up to the nearest leaves.
  • The vapora moth is widespread and common across Europe, feeding on a great variety of plants. It can live in all kinds of habitats.
  • One of the most widespread and successful plants is our common stinging nettle. Leaves are packed with nutrients; they contain more protein and minerals than most, making them perfect baby food for caterpillars.

Peacock Butterfly

This section focuses on peacock butterfly caterpillars' feeding habits.

Feeding Habits

  • The caterpillars of the peacock butterfly feed together as a group, stripping off the leaves one at a time. Their safety in numbers and squirming mass confuses predators.
  • Rows of black spines also act as a deterrent. The caterpillars are being watched; the bard warbler has not been put off; she

The Life Cycle of Butterflies

This section discusses the life cycle of butterflies, including the release of adult butterflies from their pupal cases and the importance of nettles as food for larvae.

Butterfly Release

  • Two weeks after forming a pupal case, the butterfly splits it open to release an adult butterfly.
  • The insect's body still needs to harden in the air, and its feeding tube must be zipped together.
  • The tortoiseshell butterfly depends on nettles as food for its larvae.

Nettles as Habitat

  • Stinging nettle leaves are a defense against grazing animals but make an ideal habitat for insects.
  • Caterpillars can safely move between spines without being eaten by grazers.
  • Even agricultural crops attract their own kinds of butterflies.

Natural Predators

  • Wasps need protein-rich insect food for their own larvae, so they prey on juicy caterpillars like those of the cabbage white butterfly.
  • Wasps regurgitate green caterpillar pulp to feed their own young.
  • Wasps help control insect pests with their caterpillar predation.

Butterflies in Gardens

This section discusses how gardens can attract various species of butterflies and moths.

Garden Flowers

  • Most butterflies will happily feed on a variety of garden flowers that are rich in nectar.
  • Lilac trees are a magnet for all kinds of butterflies, including European maps, painted lady butterflies, and red admirals.

Hawk Moths

  • Hummingbird hawk moths and bee hawk moths are common visitors to garden flowers.
  • Deaths-head hawk moths are after something sweeter than nectar: honey from beehives.

Moth Transformations

This section discusses the transformation of caterpillars into adult moths, including the emperor moth's cocoon and the ermine moth's web.

Emperor Moth Cocoon

  • After three months of gorging on blackthorn leaves, the caterpillar of the emperor moth spins an intricate mesh of fibers around itself to form a silken cocoon.
  • The caterpillar stays inside this protective casing until the following spring.

Ermine Moth Web

  • Larvae of ermine moths spin wispy white drapes around tree trunks and bushes to cover themselves while they feed undisturbed.
  • Parasitic wasps use their long angling tubes to probe for caterpillars underneath these webs and deposit eggs that will hatch into larvae that eat the caterpillars from inside.

Conclusion

This section concludes by discussing how woodlands provide a home for many kinds of butterflies and how their favorite plants often determine where they live.

Woodland Butterflies

  • Woodlands provide a home for many kinds of butterflies, but their favorite plants often determine where they live.
  • Brimstone caterpillars undergo a remarkable transformation into delicate creatures with wings.
  • Hermine moths emerge from ghostly webs to cover trees in vast numbers before producing another generation of hungry caterpillars.

Butterflies and Caterpillars

This section discusses the life cycle of butterflies and caterpillars, their unique defense mechanisms, and how they interact with their environment.

Transformation of Caterpillar to Butterfly

  • The caterpillar of the white Admiral butterfly feeds solely on honeysuckle leaves.
  • By the time the plant flowers, the caterpillar has eaten all it needs and is ready to undergo a transformation.
  • Its new body has taken on a green metallic form hanging motionless from a leaf it appears lifeless and is perfectly camouflaged.
  • Two weeks later, the pupa has turned into a black alien-looking creature.

Defense Mechanisms

  • The lava of the comma butterfly has a large white patch on its back that looks much like a bird dropping from above. Most predators give it a wide berth.
  • The Ruby tiger moth defends itself with poisonous bristles.
  • Caterpillars with furry coated seams can go about their business undisturbed.
  • A large ground beetle called forest caterpillar hunter is not put off by a caterpillar's hairy back.

Interaction with Environment

  • Flying insects like butterflies are drawn to sun-lit blades and clearings where they find an abundance of flowers rich in nectar.
  • Forest tracks and rides offer sunny refuges within closed canopy pine plantations flooded with sunlight allowing flowering grasses and shrubs to grow.
  • A thick stand of nettles at the woodland edge provides good cover for caterpillars and developing pupae.

Wildlife in Woodland Canopy

This section discusses how woodland canopy attracts wildlife such as birds, butterflies, foxes, etc., which leave behind valuable gifts for other creatures.

Attraction of Butterflies

  • Woodland canopy attracts other wildlife such as black stalks that raise their chicks in the fork of a tree. The nest seems to attract woodland butterflies.
  • Stalk droppings are rich in salts and minerals which the butterflies need to produce their own eggs.
  • A fox den provides a regular supply of fresh manure, which is just as nutritious for butterflies.

Grazers and Butterfly Habitats

  • For centuries, large grazers like horses kept woodland clearing short and open, creating a mosaic of different habitats perfect for butterflies.
  • The birthing pole of many butterflies is inside the chrysalis where the caterpillar's body undergoes an extraordinary change.

Butterfly Colors

This section discusses how butterfly colors extend into the ultraviolet spectrum, which we cannot see but they can detect.

Ultraviolet Spectrum

  • Under ultraviolet light, some butterfly colors extend into the ultraviolet spectrum that we cannot imagine but they can detect.
  • The male Brimstone has bright patches on the underside of his wings that appear uniform yellow color to our eyes.
  • Birds can also see in the ultraviolet and his display could attract unwanted attention.

Alpine Mountains

This section discusses how numerous migrating butterflies cross high peaks every year while Alpine Ibex, wild mountain goats live there.

Migrating Butterflies and Mountain Goats

  • Numerous migrating butterflies cross high peaks every year while Alpine Ibex, wild mountain goats live there.
  • High up in the mountains is home to some unusual inhabitants tissue moths spend eight months of the year in dark and damp conditions; we still know very little about their lives.

Alpine Residents

This section explores the high altitude specialist species that reside in the alpine region.

High Altitude Specialist

  • The small Apollo is a high altitude specialist.
  • The yellow saxophrage which grows in abundance here is the food of choice for her young.
  • Alpine meadows are among the richest habitats in Europe teeming with insects and insect hunters.

Butterflies and Insects

  • Large colorful swallowtails are found here, using thermal currents to lift themselves up into the canopy from a high vantage point they patrol back and forth in search of females and rival males.
  • Foreign is a curious mix between butterfly and dragonfly but it doesn't feed on nectar it's a hunter.
  • Wildflower meadows are a paradise for insects and butterflies hundreds of grasses and flowers offer an abundant supply of nectar.

Decline of Grassland Butterflies

This section discusses how modern farming techniques have changed the face of our landscape, pushing aside much of our wildlife and their habitats.

Loss of Grassland Butterflies

  • In the last two decades, we've lost nearly half of our grassland butterflies.
  • Vast waves of crops now stretch across our countryside, devoid of food for butterflies.
  • In patches of grassland bordering the fields, the struggle for survival continues.

Harmful Farming Practices

  • The draining of wetlands and intensive farming have triggered an alarming decline in the false ringlet, a rare and endangered butterfly.
  • Modern farming techniques have changed the face of our landscape, pushing aside much of our wildlife and their habitats.

Traditional Grassland Management

This section discusses how traditional grassland management can be beneficial to wildlife.

Benefits of Traditional Grassland Management

  • Traditionally managed grasslands have a richer diversity of plants and animals than those abandoned and left to their own devices.
  • A wet lowland meadow carpeted in crimson flower heads attracts insect pollinators, including the dusky large blue butterfly which feeds on the plant for its entire life cycle.

Natural Ecosystem

  • Spiders are a natural part of the ecosystem and don't threaten the survival of a species.
  • Not all farming practices are harmful to wildlife.

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly

This section explores the life cycle of a butterfly, from its caterpillar stage to its emergence as an adult butterfly.

Caterpillar Descends

  • A resourceful caterpillar spins a silken thread and attaches it to a blossom far below to descend.
  • The caterpillar lands safely thanks to the thick moss that softened the landing.

Mimicking Ants

  • A red ant is attracted to the scent of a pink grub.
  • The caterpillar mimics the smell of the ant's own young and is carried back to the nest in a case of mistaken identity.
  • The sneaky imposter lives among the ants for several months and feeds on their larvae before emerging as an adult dusky blue butterfly.

Importance of Habitat Management

  • Without human intervention, grasses would soon be smothered by larger shrubs and bushes, making it difficult for butterflies like Dusky Large Blue to breed.
  • Careful management of their habitat is crucial for their survival.

Winter Butterflies

  • Winter moth makes an appearance during winter when most butterflies have disappeared.
  • Female winter moth deposits her eggs amongst closed buds where they remain all winter until young caterpillars emerge in spring eating holes in leaves and blossoms causing extensive damage.
  • Common brimstone wraps itself in snow and ice waiting for spring while Red Admiral butterflies overwinter with us.

Attracting Butterflies

  • Foreign flowers can be planted in gardens to attract butterflies, even non-native plants will supply ample nectar.
  • Michaelmas daisies are native to North America but cater to the needs of our own insects.
  • Butterfly bush, also called lilac flowers, is an irresistible lure for butterflies.
  • Peacock butterfly requires fuel of a different kind and flies on wind energy alone.

Sweet Sugary Sap

  • The sweet sugary sap oozing from the wound on a birch tree draws in a multitude of hungry creatures.

Plum Tree Frenzy

  • A flock of migrating starlings has descended upon a plum tree.
  • Half-eaten fruit is soon set upon by decomposing fungi and bacteria attracting red admiral butterflies.

Clothes Moth Larvae

  • The larvae of the common clothes moth evolved to feed on the fur of dead animals and can be found bedding in woolen jumpers during late autumn.
Video description

Discover nature’s little helpers as they drift from flower to flower, pollinating as they go. Bees and butterflies play an important role in the pollination of plants and the production of crops for human and animal consumption. The buzzing of the bees and the vibrant colours of butterflies are the staples of the tranquillity and raw beauty of the countryside – a place which beguiles the eyes and calms the soul. But with the hustle and bustle of modern day life, we tend to neglect the microscopic worlds embedded within our own; the symbiotic relationship between their worlds and ours. Here you will be entertained by captivating fights and sensational performances and be rendered speechless by imposing yet delicate natural structures - a few of what you will find in the habitat of earth’s tiniest nomads – the bees. The realm of the butterflies is also begrudgingly gorgeous and these creatures are perhaps the most fancied species in the insect world. Their beautiful colouring and graceful flight appeal to everyone. And most of all, their phenomenal transformation is testament to the evolving nature of life on earth. This two part film magnifies the world of the bees and the butterflies, showing exactly what they have to offer. Butterflies are surely the most fancied species of insect. Their beautiful colouring and their graceful flight appeal to everyone. There are close to 4000 types of Butterflies – today many of them are endangered due to the loss of their habitat. What and who is responsible for this loss? Children of the Sun – Butterflies takes you up close and personal to these sun loving beauties and explains why it is crucial for us humans to preserve and provide habitats so the survival of these delicate animals can be ensured.