Butterflies, or Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera), is one of the most widespread orders of the insect class. In terms of the number of species - more than 150,000 - they occupy second place, second only to beetles (of which there are about 300,000 species).
Egg
Egg of the pearl selenium butterfly (Clossiana selene) |
Hyperanthus butterfly egg (Hipparhia hyperantus) |
External structure chorion (shell) of the egg of the American white butterfly (Hyphantrya cunea). View of the chorion in an electron microscope. (Photos taken by A.Yu. Baranov) |
Let's start, as the Romans said, ab ovo- from an egg. It is from the egg, from the egg containing hereditary information about the future organism, its size, shape, color, development - that everything begins.
Most butterflies develop from fertilized eggs (fertilization in these insects is internal), but there are exceptions. In some species from the bagworm family ( Psychidae) observed parthenogenesis- development from an unfertilized egg.
The rate at which eggs mature may vary. It depends not only on the species, but also on the conditions environment, in particular from temperature and humidity. Some butterflies need additional nutrition during the period of egg maturation, for example, the ones that are often found among us hives(Aglais urticae), wreckers(Gonepteryx rhamni), mourners(Nimphalis antiopa) and others. But representatives of the families of fine weavers ( Hepialidae), cocoon moths ( Lasiocampidae), peacock eye ( Saturniidae), wavewort ( Liparidae) and a number of others, nutrition is not required in adulthood. They even lack a proboscis with which they could consume food. These butterflies are called aphagami, i.e. not eating.
But the eggs are ripe, now they have to be laid. Some types of butterflies lay all their eggs at once, while others lay them in small portions or one at a time. Each species has specific oviposition sites. Some species take care of their offspring by laying eggs on a food plant, on its leaves or stem (most diurnal butterflies), others simply scatter eggs on the ground (thin moths), and still others try to bury them in the ground (some cutworms). But in all cases, the eggs are adapted to development in the conditions in which the females place them. If the eggs fall into other places, they are in danger of imminent death. If, for example, eggs, usually laid in the ground, are placed on the leaf of a plant, where temperature regime, then the future larva will die or be born with some kind of anomaly that will prevent it from developing further. The same result will be obtained if an egg from a plant is placed on the ground. Some species of butterflies lay a pair of eggs on one leaf, which subsequently give rise to caterpillars of a female butterfly and a male butterfly.
Butterfly eggs have a varied shape and surface structure, and their color is usually white with green tint. But there are also other colors - red, blue, green, brown, yellow. Eggs with beautiful designs are not uncommon. The forms of egg laying are also different. Some of the Lepidoptera, e.g. ringed silkworm(Malacosoma neustria), make masonry in the form of rings, encircling thin branches with them. Often the clutches are covered with hairs, which the butterflies take from their abdomen.
Some butterflies do not lay eggs, but immediately produce caterpillar larvae. This phenomenon live births observed in some species from the moth families ( Tineidae), whites ( Pieridae) and dynaid ( Danaidae). For the first time, viviparity in butterflies was discovered by entomologist A. Scotti, who observed the breeding of live, fast-moving larvae in moths in 1862 Tinea vivipara.
Caterpillar
Caterpillar of the poplar hawk moth (Laothoe populi). Green color allows her to hide perfectly among the green leaves of one of the food plants - willow |
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A young caterpillar of one of the butterflies of the moth family (Geometridae) |
Caterpillar of the wood moth butterfly (Cossus cossus). This large caterpillar, up to 90 mm long, lives in the wood of willows, aspens, birches, alders and some fruit trees. The caterpillar has a sharp unpleasant smell |
Acronycta psi butterfly caterpillar |
Caterpillar early age one of the butterflies of the hawk moth family (Sphingidae) |
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Caterpillar of the grass moth (Cosmotriche potatoria) |
Caterpillar of the day peacock butterfly (Inachis io) before pupation |
There are few viviparous butterflies; in most species of these insects, caterpillars emerge from eggs at the appointed time. The larvae of some butterflies, after hatching, eat the egg shell: the substances included in its composition will help them in their further development.
Caterpillars usually have five pairs of abdominal legs, but their number can be reduced to two to four pairs, and the larvae of some species living on plants have no abdominal legs at all. By the way, sawfly larvae are very similar in appearance to caterpillars ( Tenthredinidae) are insects from the order Hymenoptera, and they can be distinguished by counting the legs. In butterfly larvae, together with three pairs of true (thoracic) legs, there are 16 or less, and in sawfly larvae the number of abdominal legs is six to eight pairs, i.e. only from 18 to 22.
Caterpillars of those species of butterflies that scatter their eggs far from food plants will have to travel a long distance after hatching in search of food. The wind often helps them with this. Tiny caterpillars climb to elevated places (the tops of blades of grass, branches of bushes and trees), release a web and, using it as a sail, go on long journeys. This contributes to the spread of the species, although many caterpillars die during such wanderings. However, nature has prudently endowed all types of butterflies, which spread by caterpillars with the help of the wind, with either high fertility, or polyphagy (i.e., the ability of caterpillars to feed on many types of plants), or the ability of larvae to exist for a long time without food.
The caterpillars of some Lepidoptera have mastered and aquatic environment. A number of them breathe in water through the integument of the body, and the spiracles, through which all breathe terrestrial species caterpillars, they are reduced. Larvae body cutter(Paraponux stratiotata), which live in cases on aquatic plants, have filamentous tracheal gills. Caterpillars of the genus Shoenobius They live inside the leaves of aquatic plants and do not come into direct contact with water. Some types of aquatic caterpillars are covered with thick hairline and breathe the air that remains between the hairs when the caterpillar is immersed in water.
Butterfly caterpillars developing in water feed aquatic plants. Plants also serve as food for most caterpillars living on land. At the same time, they not only eat leaves, but can lead an underground lifestyle and feed on roots or live inside the stems of grasses and tree trunks, making long passages in them.
Some caterpillars feed not on one, but on various plant organs. For example, caterpillars fine-stranded shamil(Phassus schamyl) first feed on half-rotten leaves, and later move on to feeding on the roots of various herbaceous plants.
Some species of caterpillars belonging to the moth family make passages in leaf tissues, where they eat away a cavity called a mine (eng. mine- to dig a passage, to dig a mine, for which they are called moth miners.) Characteristic signs Miner moth caterpillars are tiny in size and have a flat body shape.
The larvae of some species of butterflies cause abnormal tissue growth in plants, the so-called Gauls. For example, a moth of the genus Coleohora lays eggs in the buds of one of the bindweed species. Having completed its development, the caterpillar separates the gall with a circular incision and descends with it on a cobweb to the ground, after which it moves with it for some time, like a snail with its house. Then she attaches her gall house to some plant with a web and, having prepared a hole for flight, pupates.
In general, the nature of the damage caused to plants by caterpillars different types, is very specific, and there are even track identifiers based on the shape of such damage.
In addition to plant foods, butterfly caterpillars can also feed on food of animal origin. Caterpillars of a dozen families of butterflies are characterized by predation. Some species of moths live in bird nests and feed on feather litter there. Moths living in caves feed on bird droppings and bats. Larvae of various types of moths damage our fur coats, mohair sweaters and rabbit hats. Caterpillars wax, or bee,moths(Galleria mellonella) feed on beeswax in hives.
Caterpillars of some species of blueberry butterflies ( Lycaenidae) are myrmicophilous creatures, they live in anthills. The ants do not touch them, apparently because these caterpillars secrete calming odorous substances, as well as a sweet liquid, which the ants happily lick off. In anthills, blueberry caterpillars feed on ant larvae, eggs and pupae. One can only be surprised at such a relationship between the predators of the insect world and their usual victims - butterfly caterpillars.
The ability of some species of caterpillars to camouflage is widely known. For example, many moth caterpillars (fam. Geometridae) perfectly imitate the branches of plants on which they feed. These caterpillars are also curious because they pull up sharply when moving. back body to the front, and then push the front part, while holding the substrate with the abdominal legs. Moving, they seem to measure length, for which they are also called land surveyors, both in Russian and in Latin.
What do caterpillars imitate - twigs, buds, bark... Caterpillars pine hawkmoth(Sphinx pinastri) perfectly camouflaged as pine needles. And one of the tropical caterpillars mimics... a snake. More precisely, under head part snakes of a certain type, since the whole snake is, of course, longer than the caterpillar.
Many inedible, poisonous caterpillars (as well as other poisonous insects) have a bright warning color. The protective role of this coloring is enhanced if the animals are located close to each other. Apparently, this is why many species of caterpillars stick together throughout their development, forming so-called nests. In caterpillars covered with hairs, when living together, these hairs also create an additional common barrier that prevents attacks by predators. The formation of nests is characteristic of the larvae of a number of cocoon moths (family. Lasiocampidae), leaf rollers ( Tortricidae), American white butterfly ( Hyphantria cunea).
Caterpillars holding a nest usually weave a kind of tents from a web, which they leave while feeding (usually at night), and then return back. Moving while feeding, each caterpillar separates one web at a time with the help of special glands, and in the end, together they literally weave the entire tree with a web. Caterpillars pine silkworm(Dendrolimus pini) closer to autumn they begin to weave a winter tent-nest, in which they spend the winter, gathered in a dense mass.
It is interesting to learn about vision in caterpillars. It is very weak for them; butterfly larvae can only distinguish between light and shadow and do not see the clear outlines of an object. The caterpillar's eye itself is a cluster of colored light-sensitive spots. Such eye spots are not only on the head, they are scattered throughout the body and help the caterpillar to hide from the scorching sun in time or determine that the leaf has already been gnawed and it’s time to crawl to a new one.
Butterfly larvae are important members natural communities. Eating mostly plant foods, they themselves serve as food for many insectivorous animals. Their role in the nutrition of a number of insectivorous birds is very important, which not only eat them themselves, but also collect them in large quantities as food for their chicks.
By the way, people also eat caterpillars. Australian aborigines eat cutworm butterfly caterpillars, and in Congo markets they sell striped caterpillars up to 10 cm long, which are considered a delicacy of African cuisine.
But people can use caterpillars for other purposes. In Australia caterpillars mothsCactoblastis cactorum successfully used to combat prickly pear. This cactus, brought from Mexico, has multiplied here in huge quantities and became literally a scourge for local farmers. Chemical treatments did not help. After a long search by scientists, the caterpillars of the moth became the factor restraining the massive growth of prickly pear. Subsequently, in Australia, near the city of Chinchila, in the small town of Bunarga, a modest building for holding concerts and meetings, “Memorial Hall,” appeared. It was built in honor of the moth.
And the mass reproduction of butterfly larvae malumbia(Eloria noyesi) in Peru has confused the cards of the local drug mafia. Having multiplied, these caterpillars a short time destroyed more than 20 thousand hectares of illegal coca crops, the plant from which cocaine is obtained. A detailed study of the biology of this species of butterfly may open up prospects for the further use of its caterpillars in this field.
In the process of development, butterfly caterpillars go through several instars, the differences between which are sometimes so strong (for example, in the larvae of the first, third and last instars of the butterfly Aglia tau from the peacock eye family, Saturniidae), that they can be mistaken for caterpillars of different species. The transition from one age to another occurs during the process of molting. It is interesting that the sex of the butterfly is revealed at the caterpillar stage, and with each age, sexual differences appear more and more clearly.
In most caterpillars, the development cycle completes in one to two months, but in some, for example, in a butterfly of the species Stigmella mallella,- much faster, in just 36 hours. And in some butterflies living in the north, caterpillars, on the contrary, take several years to develop. The sizes of butterflies that develop from such caterpillars vary greatly. Butterflies from caterpillars that lived large quantity years old, larger.
The process of pupation in caterpillars, especially diurnal species of butterflies, amazes the observer with its simplicity and complexity at the same time. It would seem that a few seconds ago it was a caterpillar - and now the skin on you has burst and there is already a pupa in front of you. Before pupation, many species of caterpillars change their behavior - they become restless, stop feeding and look for a suitable place for themselves. Such places may be different for different species. Some caterpillars pupate immediately on a food plant, usually on back side leaves. Others are found in fallen leaves or curled leaves left on trees. These leaves do not fall off in the winter because the caterpillars specially secure them. The larvae of a number of species make a whole journey in search of a suitable place and do not even pupate if they are deprived of this run. There are caterpillars that burrow into the ground before pupation, and there are the walls of houses, fences, telegraph poles. There was a case when, at a field airfield, a mass of pupae of one type of firefly clogged the device for regulating air pressure in the cabin of the Yak-40 aircraft. To eliminate such incidents, aircraft designers modified the device. So the tracks introduced their own adjustments to the design of the aircraft.
Before pupation, many caterpillars decrease in size - they become shorter, some change color. Many species weave a cocoon, for the construction of which they use not only silk thread, but also auxiliary materials - lumps of earth, pieces of leaves, grass stems. There is a known case when a corydalis butterfly caterpillar used pieces of lead for a cocoon, which it scraped from the lead sheath of a discarded piece of cable.
Doll
Pupae of moths. Large pupa - butterflies from the hawkmoth family (Sphingidae). Smaller pupa – butterflies from the moth family (Noctuidae) |
Pupa of the day peacock butterfly (Inachis io) – on the left and pupa of the wren butterfly (Aglais urticae) – on the right |
Pupae day butterflies |
After pupation has occurred, a very important stage in the butterfly’s development process begins. Based on its external manifestations, it can be called calm. But in fact, very important processes of restructuring the body take place inside the pupa, new organs are formed.
In most species, the legs, wings, antennae and proboscis of the future butterfly are only drawn in the outline of the pupa under a single dense shell. But some pupae have more primitive species In butterflies, the limbs are freely separated from the body, as is the case in beetle pupae. The rings on the back of the body of butterfly pupae are mostly movable.
Pupae various butterflies vary greatly in shape and color. They are usually plain and smooth. But there are also pupae with spiny or knotty protrusions. Some pupae are brown or green; others are superbly painted, sometimes with gold or silver designs. The differences are so significant and so characteristic of each species that the type of butterfly can be determined by the pupa. Many pupae have a process at the end of the rear part of the body, often equipped with spines. This process is called cremaster and serves to secure the pupa after the caterpillar skin falls. Some pupae are secured with a belt of silk threads.
Most pupae are silent creatures, but there are also some that make sounds. Hawkmoth pupae "Dead Head" (Acherontia atropos) and butterfly pupae SaturniaRodinia phugax they can squeak.
The pupa's means of protecting itself from predators is camouflage. In some species of butterflies, the color of the pupae depends on the substrate on which the caterpillar pupated. And here is a butterfly pupa poplar ribbon grass(Limenitis populi) resorts to deceiving insectivorous birds. In its sculptural structure there is a detail that looks like a protruding droplet of hemolymph - the blood of insects. The calculation is made that the bird, upon seeing the pecked pupa, will mistake it for an inedible one, thrown out by another bird. Butterfly pupa Stilpnotia salicis covered with tufts of hard yellow hairs that serve to protect it from insectivorous birds and predatory insects.
The pupal stage in various species of butterflies lasts from one or two days to several years, if the pupa enters the so-called diapause. The impetus for this slowdown in development may be the duration daylight hours, ambient temperature, humidity and other factors.
It is interesting to note that the color of the wings of the future butterfly depends on the temperature conditions in which the pupa was located. Experiments have shown that from the pupae that developed during low temperatures, butterflies emerged in which dark tones predominated in color, and from pupae kept at more high temperature, butterflies with lighter colors appeared.
In many species whose pupae develop in cocoons, there are special devices for the butterflies to come out. Butterflies Hoplitis milauseri and representatives of the family Limacodes the pupae cut a round hole in the cocoon using a special spike located on the shoulder. In other species, the hatched butterfly secretes a liquid that corrodes the cocoon. Often, especially in species that develop inside trees and grass stems, at the ends of the abdomen of the pupa there are teeth directed backwards, giving it the opportunity, shortly before the butterfly hatches, to move along the path made by the caterpillar until it emerges.
To be continued
Butterflies are lepidoptera, belonging to insects that have full cycle transformations. Their distinctive feature from other representatives of the order - the presence of chitinous scales on the hind and fore wings. These elements have the finest optical components, which, when interacting with ultraviolet light, make it possible to see a range of colors that the human eye cannot perceive.
To find out how a butterfly develops, you first need to understand what the cycle with complete transformation includes. This process contains the following stages:
- egg stage;
- caterpillar (larval) stage;
- pupal stage;
- stage of an adult insect (imago).
Just as butterflies develop, other representatives of lepidoptera - moths and moths - also turn into adults.
Butterfly mating
So, to understand how a butterfly develops, you need to start with the main stage of the life cycle - mating. Important factors in reproduction are the shape of the wings and their color, as well as courtship options - dancing and mating flights. Males can detect a female more than one kilometer away. Pheromones, as well as odorous scales located on the legs or wings, allow partners to find each other.
Mating of these insects occurs on plants or on the ground for from 20-25 minutes to several hours. All this time the individuals are motionless. By mating, the female gets the opportunity to receive sperm, microelements and proteins from the male. It is the last two components that play a large role in the formation and laying of eggs. In some species of butterflies, after mating, females develop an appendage of chitin on their abdomen, which is formed by the male at the end of the process. It is necessary in order to exclude the possibility of repeated fertilization with another male.
Egg stage
The first thing in a butterfly is an egg. In butterflies they have a varied shape and a fairly hard shell. They are angular, round, spherical. Their outer surface is embossed with symmetrical tubercles and depressions. The color scheme ranges from white to green, and sometimes there is a colored pattern on the outer surface.
Typically, females can lay more than 1,000 eggs in one clutch. Depending on the species of these insects, they can leave them either in a group of up to 10 pieces, or individually. The egg stage lasts from 8 to 15 days.
Caterpillar stage
The butterfly larva is a worm-like caterpillar. She has a pronounced gnawing oral apparatus. The caterpillar has a special secretion that hardens in air and forms a silk thread. The larvae are mainly phytophagous, that is, their food is flowers, leaves and fruits of plants.
There are also types of caterpillars that eat the larvae of ants, aphids and mealybugs. These species are predators. On the body of the caterpillar there are 10 abdominal segments with five pairs of thick legs and 3 thoracic segments with three pairs of jointed legs. The body has smooth skin with spines, warts and hairs. Caterpillars usually live on the ground, trees, and bushes, but some of them, such as broad-winged moths, can live underwater. They can be divided into two large groups:
- caterpillars prone to a free lifestyle;
- caterpillars prone to a hidden lifestyle.
The latter construct portable cases from silky thread in which they live. They carry it on themselves and hide in it. Also, caterpillars build themselves a cigar-shaped cover from leaves in the form of a shelter, having previously secured it with silk thread. The development cycle of a butterfly at this stage can last several years. Caterpillars in northern latitudes may enter a state of diapause until next summer. For example, the life cycle of the larvae of the seaweed, which lives in Greenland, can last up to 14 years.
Pupa stage
Butterflies have sedentary pupae. The main type characteristic of Lepidoptera is glued. In some families, such as cocoon moths, the pupa lives inside a cocoon that was woven by a caterpillar. The shape is cylindrical, sometimes round. - from light colors to dark with the presence of stripes and inclusions. Usually the pupa is located inside glued leaves on the trunks and flowers of plants with the rudiments of the abdomen, wings, legs and proboscis already clearly visible. At this stage of development there is no nutrition.
insect stage
The adult, fully formed insect emerging from the pupa is called an “imago.” At this stage of butterfly development, the magical metamorphosis ends. The pupa acquires an oily-transparent shell approximately a day before the insect emerges from it. Then the imago crawls out, tearing the hard covers. Generally, females come out later than males. When they harden, straighten out, and the final color appears on them, then the insect will take off. The adult is sexually mature and can reproduce. This sequence of butterfly development allows it to respond to changes occurring in nature. For example, for improvement or deterioration climatic conditions, amount of precipitation, temperature regime.
So, having figured out how a butterfly develops, we have solved another mystery in nature - how the magical transformation from an unsightly green caterpillar into a beautiful flying insect actually became possible.
How a caterpillar turns into a butterfly is of interest to almost everyone. An equally intriguing question is whether all caterpillars turn into butterflies. In the squad lepidopteran insects there are 156 species. The history of their appearance goes back to the era Jurassic period, still fluttered over the dinosaurs, and the process of their transformation did not change at all.
Where do caterpillars come from: the life cycle of butterflies
The female lays eggs after fertilization. Under favorable conditions, a larva develops inside. The process takes from 2 to 14 days. Upon completion, they gnaw through the rim of the eggs and crawl out. This is how the caterpillar appears.
The size of the first stage larvae is about 1 mm. They are born with a huge appetite and grow quickly. As they grow older, they undergo an average of 4 molts, but there are species that are reborn up to 16 times. The duration of this cycle depends on the type of insect and habitat. In our area, females manage to give birth to two generations; the larva develops in about 6 weeks.
Caterpillars live under the bark of trees, in cereals, grains, under leaves various plants. They feed on juices and gain strength. At the imago stage, the moth lives from several days to 20 days. During this time, it either does not eat anything or feeds on plant nectar, juices of berries, and fruits.
Interesting!
IN northern latitudes The larva does not have time to go through the full development cycle in one summer; it remains to winter in this form and continues to develop with the onset of warm weather. Northern species able to withstand frost below -70 degrees Celsius. In Greenland and Canada, the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly lasts 7-14 years.
Finally, the larva forms a cocoon from independently produced threads and turns into a pupa. It clings to the tree and leaves with its paws and freezes. It's about to begin mysterious phenomenon- transformation into a moth.
Conversion process
How long it takes for a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly while in a cocoon depends on climatic conditions and the type of insect. From a few days to 14 years. Moths in our area appear on average after 15 days.
What is the name of the process of transformation of a caterpillar - metamorphosis. More precisely, holometamorphosis, since some parts of the larva remain. In this case - paws. Experts understand this term as a complete degeneration of forms. Just like melting plastic bottle, then make a glass.
In a cocoon that appears completely motionless, complex processes take place inside. The body splits and turns into a liquid mass with imaginal discs. To make it clearer, these are similar to stem cells, and any organs or tissues can be formed from them.
Upon completion of the process of transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, the formed insect secretes a special secretion, which allows the walls of the cocoon to be split. Initially the head is shown, then the body, legs. The newborn insect sits motionless for several minutes, waiting for its wings to dry. Then he straightens them and begins to search for the opposite sex for mating.
Amazing creatures
Not always similar, the color does not at all match the coloring of the future moth. Some larvae have similar features - spots, streaks of identical color. Only specialists and obvious fans of these insects can determine from which caterpillars and which butterflies emerge.
Butterfly caterpillars, photos and names are presented below.
- One of the most beautiful butterflies in our area - . The larva of this beauty is black in color with spines all over its body. The change in appearance is dramatic.
- Other .
- Amazing creation bromea. The caterpillar looks like a stick, and the butterfly has a very interesting woody color
- Green caterpillar with multi-colored pimples - cecropia.
- The black swallowtail has a simply irresistible color in green and blue tones. But there are also yellow dots on the caterpillar’s body.
- Dalcerida. It is not clear from the outside whether the larva will produce an insect or an animal. The appearance of the moth is no less unusual.
- The blue morpho is another creature that captivates with its appearance.
People never cease to admire some types of butterflies; they keep them in the house, creating for them favorable conditions life.
Where do butterflies come from? beautiful insects, with painted wings. Find out how easy it is for butterflies to be born. Do you know that on average butterflies live 1 month. And during this month they manage to lay several thousand larvae.
Phases of butterfly appearance:
1. An adult female butterfly lays eggs on the leaves of plants. Although she will never see her babies, she still tries to preserve her offspring; for this, some butterflies bury eggs in the ground, while others cover the clutch with secretions from special glands, there are also those that cover the clutch with scales and villi, which they obtain from their own abdomen.
Depending on the type of butterfly and temperature conditions, the offspring develop in the egg from several days to several months.
2. Next comes the second phase: a caterpillar emerges from the egg - this is a butterfly larva. It eats leaves, thereby accumulating energy and nutrients; also during this phase, the caterpillar, the larva, sheds its old skin, this process is called molting.
3. After the last molt, the caterpillars turn into motionless pupae. Having found a safe place, the caterpillar clings to the plant and begins to wrap itself in silk threads, which stick together and form a cocoon. Most often it has a color similar to external environment, which allows them to camouflage themselves and save their lives. During this period, the cocoon undergoes reconstruction and transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly. At the end of the transformation period, the cocoon shell bursts and a butterfly emerges from it.
But the butterfly cannot fly right away, since its wings are soft and folded. First it straightens and dries, and only then it flies.
This is the transformation from an ordinary caterpillar to a beautiful soaring butterfly!
Almost any woman, looking forward to the future addition to her family, dreams of giving birth to a beautiful and healthy child. Each visit to the doctor and the entry made by him in the medical card can serve as a reason for additional anxiety and frustration. The most common fear during pregnancy for women is when they see a recording of a mysterious butterfly symptom in the fetus.
What is a butterfly during pregnancy?
What is this mysterious butterfly symptom? It is necessary to understand in more detail to avoid confusion, since pregnant women very often confuse the words “symptom” and “syndrome”.Butterfly syndrome is a very rare disease that is transmitted genetically from parent to child. The course of the disease is characterized by the appearance of redness on the child’s face, especially in the area of the cheekbones and nose. It can only manifest itself in people who have already been born, but not in an embryo. People suffering from this disease have very fragile skin and mucous membranes, which are damaged at the slightest touch, causing the patient severe pain. Most often it occurs in children born from a union of close relatives.
Therefore, there is no need to worry, because during pregnancy the disease cannot be identified, and, most likely, during a personal conversation with the woman, the doctor could simply make a slip of the tongue and call the symptom a syndrome. If it seems like a pregnant woman, then the best solution is always to simply ask again.
As for the butterfly symptom, this is a term from gynecological therapy, most often used in the early stages of pregnancy. The symptom is observed during the first 28 weeks of fetal development and is considered a sign of normal and uniform brain development in the future person.
What is a butterfly on ultrasound during pregnancy?
The name “butterfly symptom” was derived from the comparative similarity of the correctly developing cerebral hemispheres with the rounded wings of this insect. Its presence in ultrasound diagnostics helps doctors identify pathological diseases in an unborn child.Some very suspicious expectant mothers try to avoid this fairly simple procedure, because they believe that undergoing it will negatively affect the health of their baby. And in vain! Sometimes ultrasound diagnostics is the only solution for modern stage development of medicine, during which doctors will be able to timely identify pathology in the intrauterine development of the fetus.
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