Butterfly Facts

Butterfly Facts 1:  Butterfly Classification

• Butterflies (as well as moths) belong to the large group of insects known as Lepidoptera. This comes from the Greek word and means 'scaly winged'.
  
  
• This name perfectly suits the insects in this group because their wings are covered with thousands of tiny scales overlapping in rows. The scales, which are arranged in colorful designs unique to each species, are what gives the butterfly its beauty and color. There are about 125,000 scales per square inch which overlap, like shingles on a roof.
  
  
• Many people have heard the term Lepidoptera, but what most people don't realise is that Butterflies alone are called Papilionoidea – which is the superfamily of butterflies.
  
  
• The wings of some butterflies are marked with patterns that look very much like letters of the alphabet, as well as numerals...
  
  

Butterfly Facts 2:  How is a Butterfly Constructed?

• Butterflies are insects. Insect means it is made up of 3 segments and on the butterfly the 3 segments are the head, body or thorax (the chest or mid section) and abdomen (tail end).
  
  
• Like all other insects, butterflies have six legs and feet. In some species such as the monarch, the front pair of legs remains tucked up under the body most of the time, and are difficult to see. Butterflies also have two antennae and an exoskeleton. An exoskeleton is where their skeleton is on the outside of their bodies. This protects the insect and keeps water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out.
  
  
• Butterflies are related to crabs and lobsters! Why? Because those sea creatures also have skeletons on the outside of their bodies! They’re arthropods which includes insects, crustaceans, millipedes, centipedes and arachnids.
  
  
• Butterflies have compound eyes each of which can consist of up to 6,000 individual lenses.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 3:  Hot Stuff, or Should That be Cold Stuff?

• Butterflies are cold-blooded, meaning they cannot regulate their own body temperature. As a result, their body temperature changes with the temperature of their surroundings. If they get too cold, they are unable to fly and must warm up their muscles in order to resume flight. Butterflies can fly as long as the air is between 60°-108°F (16°-42°C), although temperatures between 82°-100°F (28°-38°C) are best.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 4:  Size is Everything Here

• A caterpillar grows to about 27,000 times the size it was when it first emerged from its egg. So if a human baby weighed 9 pounds (4kg)at birth and grew at the same rate as a caterpillar, it would weigh 243,000 pounds (110,000kg)when fully grown!
  
  
• Butterflies weigh only as much as two rose petals, but can fly thousands of miles.
  
  
• If a suitable food plant is not available, a caterpillar will starve to death rather than eat anything else.
  
  
• Butterflies do not get bigger as they age - a young butterfly is a caterpillar!
  
  
• Female butterflies are usually bigger than male butterflies.
  
  
• The smallest butterfly is probably the Western Pygmy Blue which has a wingspan of around half-an-inch (1.5cm). The largest is probably the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing with a wingspan of around 11 inches (28cm).
  
  

Butterfly Facts 5: What Do Butterflies Eat?

• Butterflies don't have mouths that allow them to bite or chew. They, along with most moths have a long straw-like structure called a proboscis which they use to drink nectar and juices. When not in use, the proboscis remains coiled like a garden hose.
  
  
• Most butterflies sip flower nectar, but did you know some species of butterfly also imbibe fluids from sap on trees, pollen, rotting fruits, bird droppings, animal dung or even animal carcasses.
  
  
• Adult butterflies can also usually be found drinking fluids at wet sand or mud, along stream edges or on dirt tracks. These often contain minerals.
  
  
• Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet? Their taste sensors are located in the feet, and by standing on their food, they can taste it! So as well as finding out if they have a tasty snack, they can find out whether the leaf they sit on is good to lay eggs on to be their caterpillars' food or not.
  
  
• In some parts of the world caterpillars are considered to be a delicacy and are eaten by people. Yuk!

You can find even more facts by clicking on our second butterfly facts link.