Ten facts about butterflies that will surprise you. Butterflies are the largest group of insects with approximately 20,000 known species. The only butterflies that are not colorful are the dark colored moths. Butterflies are closely related to moths and have a similar life cycle.
The caterpillars on the other hand, have similar characteristics to all other caterpillars in the insect world. They have soft bodies and long, multi-segmented, annulated (ringed) bodies with tiny hair like structures called setae covering them. The chrysalis is not a pupa but an enclosed resting stage just before adulthood where the adult butterfly will emerge from.
Tropical rainforests are home to over a thousand different species of butterflies and caterpillars. Over 1500 butterflies species can be found in India alone. There are more than three thousand species in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains.*
Butterflies exhibit polymorphism or changes in form related to environmental conditions such as temperature and rainfall. Butterflies do not hibernate because they cannot fly when it is cold and they cannot survive in temperatures below freezing point.*
Many people are not aware of the variety of butterflies. Here is a list of facts you may or may not find interesting.
1. Butterflies taste with their feet.
2. The Monarch Butterfly has the longest wingspan, up to four inches long.
3. Some species of butterflies are very rare in particular areas, but common in other areas.
4. The biggest butterfly in North America is the Queen Butterfly and it has a wingspan of 5 inches long.
5. The smallest butterfly in North America is the Frigga Fritillary and it has a wingspan between 1/2 and 3/4 inch long.
6. There are more than 20,000 different types of butterflies around the world.
7. The heaviest butterfly is the Goliath Birdwing and it weighs about one ounce; however, it’s only found on the island of Papua New Guinea and is an endangered species due to habitat destruction there.
8. The smallest butterfly in the world is the Fairy Bluebird with a wingspan that measures only 0.4 inches across!
9 .Great Britain has over half of all butterfly species found on mainland Europe!
10 .Not all butterflies caterpillars can turn into butterflies, though many believe this to be
Butterflies are beautiful, fascinating creatures. The sheer beauty and color of butterflies makes them popular pets with children and adults alike. It is not uncommon to see butterfly paintings in the home or garden, or even a butterfly garden.
The common image of butterflies as delicate and fragile is incorrect. Butterflies are actually quite hardy. They have survived countless millions of years of evolution and still exist today, thriving in many different environments. The following facts about butterflies will help you gain a greater appreciation for these beautiful creatures:
1) Butterflies are the only insects that can fly backwards**
2) Different species of butterflies can taste with their feet**
3) Butterflies taste with their feet to help them find food (nectar)**
4) Butterfly wings contain thousands of tiny scales, which give them their color**
5) Butterfly wings are covered in microscopic scales called “pigment cells”**
6) Butterfly wings have microscopic scales that allow them to reflect various colors and make them appear iridescent**
7) Butterfly eyes are made up mostly of rods, which mean they can see in black and white**
8) Butterfly eyes contain more rods than cones, which means they see very well at night but not so well during the day
Butterflies are possibly the most colorful insects. These tiny creatures have evolved over time to develop a wide variety of colors and patterns. They are found in every corner of the world, thus making them one of the most popular insect groups among both scientists and casual nature lovers.
Closer observation reveals that butterflies have many interesting facts about them. They include the following:
1) Butterflies are among the oldest insects in existence, dating back more than 140 million years into the past.
2) Scientists believe that these little insects evolved from an order of moth known as Micropterigidae. This fact is evident in their similar wing structures, although they still have some distinct differences between one another.
3) Butterflies are found on all continents around the world except for Antarctica. They have been observed in all types of climates, ranging from warm tropical areas to cold temperate regions.
4) Butterflies can be found at various elevations above sea level, including mountains and even oceans. The only area where they do not live is the tundra region of Antarctica.
5) Although butterflies are most commonly white or yellow in color, it was once believed that these striking colors were merely for show and served no purpose at all. However, it
There are about 20,000 species of butterflies around the world and more than 15,000 species in North America alone. Butterflies are found on all continents except Antarctica. They live in a wide range of habitats, including deserts and rainforests.
Tropical butterflies tend to be larger than their cousins living in cooler climates.
Butterflies are part of the insect order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. The word “lepidoptera” is derived from the Greek words leptos (meaning “thin”) and pteron (meaning “wing”).
Butterfly wings are made up of tiny scales. Some tropical butterflies have wingspans measuring over 6 inches (15 cm).
The largest butterflies in the world belong to the family Satyridae and include examples such as the Great Mormon (Papilio memnon) and Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae). These two species have wingspans of 8 inches (20 cm) or more. The smallest butterflies belong to the family Hedylidae and include species such as the Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charitonius) which has a wingspan of 3/4 inch (2 cm).
1. Butterflies taste with their feet.
2. The monarch butterfly isn’t really a butterfly. It belongs to a family of moths called the “brush-footed” moths.
3. The largest butterfly in the world is the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing. It is native to Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Indonesia and has a wingspan of up to 12 inches!
4. The colorful underside of the hindwings are used as a defense mechanism against predators. This is called “eyespot mimicry.”
5. Butterflies have five different eye shapes, which depends on their species and their evolutionary need for sight. This is known as dichromatism (or polychromatism).
6. Butterflies have no teeth, but they do have little hooks on their proboscis that allow them to suck nectar from flowers and other things like fruit and rotting flesh (eew!).
7. Like moths, butterflies are also covered in scales; however, butterflies have tiny bumps called “papillae,” whereas moths have comb-like filaments called “setae.”
8. Butterflies taste with their feet! Like cats that use their tongues to clean themselves, butterflies actually use their feet to groom themselves! This
Butterflies have been used as a symbol of transformation, beauty and death. The butterfly is also used to refer to a person who has undergone an extreme change in personality or undergone great emotional turmoil. A person who is described as a “butterfly” tends to have a wide range of interests and is considered more sensitive and very different in their past life than they are currently.
