Beware butterflies vampire! Bashny.Net

Not all butterflies are beautiful. Among them there are real monsters, more vampires who feed on the blood, including human.
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How would it not sound terrible, blood-sucking moths found here in Siberia. They turned shovels or moths. Yes, the very large moths, which in the evenings and at night flock to the light, is not averse taste of human blood.



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But the butterfly vampire (already other species) are found not only in our country. They are also common in Southeast Asia (the butterflies are able to pierce the thick skin of a buffalo or rhino), in Africa and in Eastern and Southern Europe.



This is a tropical butterfly vampire



The first scoop-vampire found our Russian expert on butterflies Vladimir Kononenko. But the official opening of "vampirism" butterflies was due to an entomologist at the University of Florida - Jennifer Zaspel in 2006. She believes that these butterflies are close relatives scoops vasilistnikovoy that lives in some parts of Europe.



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The length of the butterfly, with a wingspan is 35-72 millimeters. They are equipped with a proboscis long hard tiny suction cups to attach to the skin. Originally it was intended for drinking sap and water. Butterflies have adapted to pierce their skin firm fruit. Some tropical species drink blood instead of tearful release of large animals.



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Prick proboscis quite painful. The bite does not itch, but a small wound can bleed for a long time. If the butterflies are not driven from the bite, they can suck blood from 5 to 20 minutes.



In order not to jeopardize the honor of all the scoop should be said that drinking the blood of only males. Females feed on plant sap and fruit. Externally, the vampires are different from their vegetarian counterparts and females of their own species - in their wings there is a certain pattern.

The question is - and what they still need blood? It's not just because they went to such exotic cuisine. There are the following assumption, which, however, is still uncertain. The animal blood contains salt, which males transfer to the female during mating. This "unusual sexy gift" provides salt butterfly larvae. Salt, sodium or rather, they need for normal development.



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