More Facts About Butterflies

Butterfly Facts 6: Hello Mate

• Butterflies attract mates using scents known as pheromones. Female butterfly pheromones are not detectable by humans but some male pheromones may be recognised as fruity or flower-like scents.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 7: How Long Do Butterflies Live?

• A Butterflies life span averages from about 2 to 21 days after they emerge from the pupae, but some species of butterflies modify their nectar diet to include rotten fruit, pollen and animal excrement, and can live as long as 3 to 6 months, or even up to 11 months.
  
  
• Females generally live longer than males.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 8: Calling All Butterflies

• What is a group of butterflies called? Some call a group of butterflies a "'Kaleidoscope'', others have called them a ''Swarm'' or ''Rabble'' or even a "Flight". What are your thoughts?
  
  

Butterfly Facts 9: Is It a Butterfly, Is It a Moth?

• It is thought that Butterflies evolved from moths sometime between 245 million years ago and 110 million years ago.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 10: How Many Butterfly Species Are There?

• There are up to 24,000 species of butterflies around the world. Estimates vary quite a lot because some people include sub-species (variants of known butterflies) and we believe there are still a few to be discovered.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 11: What Good Are Butterflies?

• Butterflies are the second largest group of pollinators.....next to bees. So they play a very important role in our world.
  
  

Butterfly Facts 12: How Fast Can Butterflies Fly?

• Butterflies can attain a flight speed of up to 50 kph (31mph). A top athlete can only manage 42 kph (26mph).
  
  

Butterfly Facts 13: Where do Butterflies Live?

• Butterflies live all over the world - almost. Antarctica is the only continent on which no Lepidoptera have been found. I don't blame them! And yes, that means there are butterflies in the Arctic circle - in Alaska for instance there are quite a few butterflies.