The 10 most precious butterflies in the world, one of which is unique to China

Although there are more than 14,000 species of butterflies, many butterfly species are in danger of extinction, making them extremely rare and valuable. This article introduces ten rare butterfly species in the world, including the golden-spotted swallowtail butterfly, the two-tailed brown swallowtail butterfly, the emperor moth Yin and Yang butterfly, the Alexander birdwing butterfly, the paradise birdwing swallowtail butterfly, the rose crystal eye butterfly, and the three-tailed brown butterfly. Papilio butterfly, Morpho butterfly, Owl butterfly, Oriental pearl butterfly and 88 multi-vortex butterflies. These butterfly species are considered very rare and valuable in the butterfly world.

1. Papilion butterfly

The golden-spotted swallowtail butterfly is mainly distributed in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Hainan and other regions in China, and has 5 subspecies. As a rare species unique to China, it is praised as the "national butterfly" and "the proud butterfly", and is also one of the precious butterflies in the world. The golden-spotted swallowtail butterfly is very precious and rare. It is the only butterfly in China that is listed as a national first-level protected animal. It is also listed as the first of the eight most precious butterflies in the world. It is praised as the "dream butterfly" and "living fossils of the world's animals". Its posture is graceful, like a gorgeous, noble and radiant "lady", so it is honored as the "Queen of Butterflies". Someone once auctioned this butterfly for a million dollars, which shows how precious it is.

2. Double-tailed brown swallowtail butterfly

The two-tailed brown swallowtail butterfly is an insect of the genus Papilionidae and is one of the rare and precious butterflies in the world. It was first discovered in western Yunnan, China in the 1930s. It is a unique breed in China and is mainly distributed in Sichuan and Yunnan. It is currently listed as a national second-level protected animal. Since its discovery in western Yunnan, it was not until 1981 that mountaineers from Hokkaido, Japan, discovered this butterfly again in Gongga Mountain, China. Therefore, the two-tailed brown swallowtail butterfly is one of the most rare butterflies in the world.

3. Emperor Moth Yin Yang Butterfly

The emperor moth, the Yin-Yang butterfly, is a butterfly species endemic to South America. It is also the rarest species in the butterfly world, with only one found in every 10 million butterflies. Its wings vary in shape, color and size, displaying a rich variety of appearance features. An imperial moth, the Yin-Yang butterfly, has a pair of wings with different shapes, asymmetry and different genders. The left wing belongs to the female and the right wing belongs to the male, forming a strange phenomenon of male and female mixing. However, due to the different shapes of their wings, the emperor moth Yin Yang butterfly cannot fly normally, and their life cycle is only a short 6 days.

4. Alexander Birdwing

The Alexander Birdwing is the largest butterfly in the world. The species was named by Rothschild in 1907 in honor of Queen Alexander (1844-1925), wife of King Edward VII of England. They are found only in the northern provinces of eastern New Guinea. Since 1989, this bird-winged swallowtail butterfly has become an endangered species. Due to its rarity, it has an extremely high value on the black market. The Alexander bird's wing butterfly is a species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora under the Convention on International Trade, and is classified as a Category I endangered species.

5. Bird of Paradise Papilio Butterfly

The bird-of-paradise butterfly belongs to the genus Bird-wing of the family Papilionidae in the order Lepidoptera. It is a large butterfly that is mainly distributed on the island of New Guinea and its surrounding islands. There are clear differences between the male and female of this butterfly. The female bird-of-paradise butterfly is larger than the male, with more rounded and broader wings. In addition, the bird-of-paradise larvae hatch and grow on the poisonous plant Aristolochia, a choice that helps keep the larvae safe.

The bird-of-paradise swallowtail butterfly is a species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and is classified as a Category II endangered species. According to the provisions of the Convention, it is prohibited to capture and kill this butterfly. This level of protection is designed to protect and maintain the survival of the species.

6. Rose Crystal Eye Butterfly

The Rose Crystal Butterfly is a pure spirit of nature. Its wings are completely transparent and the bottom shows a brilliant red. This unique and rare appearance is breathtaking. Moreover, the transparent parts of the rose crystal butterfly wings are not covered with scales, which further highlights the magic of nature. The beauty of the tail and fully transparent wings make many collectors eager to own them.

The rose crystal butterfly is listed as R-level (first-level) protection level by the International Society for the Protection of Endangered Species, and it is also a precious butterfly in my country. They are distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi and other regions of China, showing my country's rich biodiversity.

7. Three-tailed Brown Swallowtail

The three-tailed swallowtail butterfly, also known as the West China brown swallowtail butterfly or the three-tailed swallowtail butterfly, is a butterfly species unique to China. They are medium-sized, with forewings about 42-48 mm long and three tail-like protrusions on the hind wings, hence the name three-tailed brown swallowtail butterfly. Mainly distributed in Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi and other places in China. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the three-tailed swallowtail butterfly is classified as a species of least concern (LC) and is listed as a national second-level protected animal.

Currently, the population of three-tailed brown swallowtail butterflies is very rare. In some areas where its distribution was originally recorded, no trace of the species has been found for nearly a decade. This situation has drawn more attention to its conservation and research.

8. Morpho, goddess of light

Morpho, the Goddess of Light, also known as Helena Morpho, is known as one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. Its entire wing surface looks like white waves surging on the blue ocean, and its colors and patterns are quite spectacular. Morpho butterflies, goddess of light, are mainly produced in Brazil, Peru and other countries, and live in the Peruvian Amazon River Basin in South America. However, their numbers are very limited and their reproductive capacity is weak, so they are highly prized.

Although Peru has now carried out large-scale artificial breeding for export to the international market, and the Morpho butterfly can also be seen in the domestic market, the wild population is still very rare and extremely precious.

9. Owl Butterfly

The owl butterfly is a common large butterfly known around the world. Its wing design is inspired by the face of an owl, showing an extremely clever camouflage effect. It gets its name from the unique pattern on its wings. On the lower wings on both sides, there is a pair of patterns that are exactly the same as those of an owl, giving people a sinister look. This pattern not only has a powerful deterrent effect, but also shows bright colors on the front when the owl butterfly spreads its wings, showing its unusual beauty.

10. Oriental Pearl Butterfly

The Oriental Pearl Butterfly, also known as the Green Birdwing Butterfly, is the national butterfly of Indonesia. It is a typical representative of the genus Birdwing, which includes 14 different subspecies. The middle part of the forewing of the Oriental Pearl Butterfly is black, surrounded by dark green, and there are four or five black spots near the outer edge. There is an oval golden patch on the front edge of the hind wing where it meets the forewing. The Oriental Pearl Butterfly is a gem of the genus Birdwing, displaying its unique beauty.

The top ten most precious butterflies in the world are mainly recommended based on comprehensive consideration of the rarity, distribution range, collection value of specimens, etc. of the corresponding butterflies. The ranking of the list is for reference only. If you have any questions, please leave comments and criticisms at the end.

animal tags： Butterfly