How to Use the Atlas

What This Atlas Is

Butterfly-atlas.ru is a reference site about butterflies of Russia and the world. It is organized to help two types of visitors:

1. The observer "with a question": encountered a butterfly — want to know what it is. Need a quick identification guide.
2. The curious reader: want to learn about butterfly life — feeding, overwintering, ecology, species. Need an encyclopedia.

The atlas requires no special training: everything is written in accessible language with concrete examples.

Site Structure

The site is divided into six main sections. Here is what each contains:

Identification Guide

The main tool for field identification. Several "entry points" are available — choose the one convenient for your situation:

• By wing color — fastest start: "butterfly is white / blue / orange"
• By wing shape — tails, angular edges, elongated or rounded wings
• By size — small / medium / large
• By location — meadow, forest, forest edge, garden, bog, mountains
• By season — when it flies: spring, summer, autumn
• By caterpillar — if you found a larva, not an adult butterfly
• Common mistakes — analysis of classic confusions

Recommended order: start with color → refine by shape → check size and location → compare with similar species.

Butterfly Species

Overview articles on species groups:

• Day-flying butterflies — general characteristics, families, 6 species
• Nocturnal butterflies and moths — differences, main families
• Large butterflies — records of Russia and the world
• Rare butterflies — Red Data Book, 6 protected species
• How to identify a species — step-by-step algorithm

Families

Detailed pages for each major day-flying butterfly family of Russia:

• Nymphalids — small tortoiseshell, peacock, red admiral, fritillaries
• Swallowtails — swallowtail, scarce swallowtail, Apollo
• Whites — large white, green-veined white, brimstone
• Blues — "blue" and "brown" small species
• Fritillaries — marsh fritillary, pearl-bordered fritillary, ringlets

Each family page contains: diagnostic features, list of Russian species with descriptions, where and when to find them.

Encyclopedia

Articles on butterfly life and biology in general:

• What are butterflies — structure, scales, classification
• Life cycle — egg, caterpillar, pupa, imago
• How many species exist — global numbers, table by region
• How they differ from moths — antennae, posture, body
• Popular species — 12 best-known species
• Where they live — biotopes from tropics to tundra

Butterfly Life

Ecological and behavioral topics:

• How long they live — lifespan by species
• What they eat — nectar, puddling, caterpillar host plants
• Why bright wings — mimicry, aposematism, camouflage
• How they overwinter — diapause, 5 strategies
• Role in nature — pollination, food chains, bioindication

Glossary

Short but complete articles on terms:

• Metamorphosis — complete and incomplete, stages
• Pupa — chrysalis, cocoon, histolysis
• Imago — adult butterfly, eclosion

Atlas (by Region)

Cards with fauna of different world regions:

• Russia — climatic zones, top species, Red Data Book
• Europe — 500 species, Alps, Mediterranean
• Asia — from Siberia to tropics, birdwings
• Africa, both Americas, Australia — most interesting species of each continent

How to Use the Atlas for Identification

Scenario 1: found a butterfly, want to know the species

1. Open the identification guide by color
2. Choose the nearest color type
3. Read candidate descriptions — find a match by wing shape and size
4. If doubts remain — common mistakes
5. If identification failed — upload a photo to iNaturalist

Scenario 2: want to know who flies on your meadow in July

1. Open the identification guide by season — find July
2. Narrow by biotope: meadow in the location guide
3. Study species descriptions in the corresponding families

Scenario 3: found a caterpillar in the garden

1. Open the identification guide by caterpillar
2. Find the host plant in the table
3. Check caterpillar description — color, hairs, horns

Tips for Beginners

Start with the basics — read "What are butterflies" and "How they differ from moths". This takes 10 minutes and immediately gives you a working framework.

Don't try to memorize everything — the atlas is designed as a reference, not a textbook. Return to it when you encounter a specific butterfly.

Photograph systematically — upper side, underside, head with antennae. Three shots provide all needed information.

Keep a journal — record date, place, biotope. Over time you will build a personal observation database and start noticing patterns: "every July marsh fritillary appears on this meadow."

For Experienced Observers

If you already know basic species, the atlas will help:

• Understand difficult groups: blues, fritillaries, fritillaries — through family pages
• Learn species biology — feeding, overwintering, ecology
• Plan observations by region — through the atlas section

Content Notes

The atlas covers day-flying butterflies of Russia and the world. Nocturnal butterflies are presented in overview — there are several thousand species, and a detailed identification guide for nocturnal forms is beyond this project's scope.

Data are current as of 2026. Lepidopteran systematics is periodically revised: some species are split or merged. If there is a discrepancy with the latest sources — refer to Fauna Europaea and Lepidoptera and some other life forms (BOLD Systems) for current names.

All species names follow international binomial nomenclature (Genus species author, year).