Download Eating Habits Habitat Weird Anatomy Life Cycle Protect the Butterfly

s
e
i
l
f
r
e
t
t
bu
and
s
h
t
o
m
Where Did Butterflies Get Their Name?
The English word “butterfly” is very old, and we’re not
really sure where it comes from. One story is that butterflies
were named after crafty witches who were believed to take
their shape, fly into villagers’ homes and steal milk and butter. In other languages, the name for this insect has nothing
to do with butter.
Why the Great Colors?
Some of the world’s most beautiful insects are butterflies
and moths.
There are 150,000 known species of butterflies and
moths.
These winged creatures, and the caterpillars they start
out as, come in all sorts of colors and sizes.
The Atlas moth is as big as a dinner plate! The Western
pygmy blue butterfly is not much wider than your thumb!
Butterflies and moths belong to the insect order
Lepidoptera. (LEP-id-OP-ter-a).
Butterflies vs. Moths...
What’s the Difference?
8
There is a fine line between what can be
called a “butterfly” and what can be called
a “moth.” But in general, these are helpful
clues:
• Butterflies fly during the day, but moths
fly at night.
• Butterflies have knobs or clubs on the ends
of their antennae, while moths do not.
• Butterflies have smooth, slender bodies;
moths are plump and fuzzy.
• Butterflies rest with their wings held
together, straight up in the air, while
moths spread them apart and to the sides.
• Butterflies are often brightly colored; moths
are often shades of brown and other “earth
tones.”
Butterflies have bright, beautiful colors. But what does
color do for them?
As with many creatures, colors give butterflies camouflage
(CAM-o-flaj). Camouflage is the ability to blend into the surroundings. Certain color patterns on their wings help butterflies and moths blend into the background of flowers and
plants, so predators can’t see them.
Another reason for colors is mating. When butterflies are
courting, colors help males and females of the same species
find each other. A blue butterfly will look for another blue
butterfly, orange will look for orange, etc.
Color is also helpful for protection. Certain brightly colored
butterflies, like monarchs, taste bad to birds and other
predators. Bright wings are like a big flag that says “I taste
bad, stay away.” Other butterflies and moths that might taste
perfectly fine to birds have colors that look like, or “mimic”,
the bad-tasting species. As a result, predators stay away
from them, too!
The Gift of Flight
Monarch butterflies are famous for their fall migration.
They migrate thousands of miles from Canada and the
northern United States to Mexico.
As amazing as it sounds, migrating Monarchs have been
seen flying as high as 1,000 feet—past tall buildings like the
Empire State Building.
Butterflies fly with the help of scales on their wings
that are similar to feathers on a bird.
These scales are delicate and could be
easily damaged
through human
handling. So be
careful touching
butterflies.
Butterfly wings
work best when they
are “warmed up,” like an
engine. On cool days, butterflies bask in the sun to absorb
heat so they can fly.
Eating Habits
Feeding is the main activity for caterpillars—they feed
on leaves or other plant parts all day long. Adult butterflies,
on the other hand, do not eat at all—they only drink.
Butterflies drink nectar from flowers, juice from rotten fruit,
or even sweat from animals.
They use a long, straw-like tongue, called a proboscis
(pro-BAH-sis), to suck up the juices.
Habitat
The kinds of butterflies you will find varies greatly from
place to place.
Most butterflies are picky eatersx—they feed on only
certain plants or only one kind of plant.
Since most plants can’t grow everywhere, the butterflies
must stay where the plants are. Plants require certain habitats to thrive, depending on things like temperature, amount
of sunlight, amount of rainfall, soil type and wind.
Weird Anatomy
Butterflies smell with their antennae and taste with their
feet!
Before laying its eggs, a butterfly first “tastes” the plant
with its feet to make sure it’s the right kind for caterpillar
larva to feed on.
Butterflies have compound eyes, like other insects. Some
butterflies’ eyes are like bifocals—the area
right in front of them is magnified so they can see up close.
Life Cycle
The butterfly life cycle follows
the four stages of complete
metamorphosis (discussed earlier
in this supplement): egg, larva
(caterpillar), pupa and adult.
The female butterfly lays her eggs on
leaves of plants that will provide food for the
caterpillars once they hatch.
A caterpillar will eat and eat until it outgrows its
own skin— four to six times as it grows. The next
stage, the pupa stage, is when the caterpillar transforms into an adult. A butterfly’s pupa is called a
chrysalis. Inside this sac, chemicals work to break
down the caterpillar body and create the butterfly body.
Protect the Butterfly
A moth encloses its pupa in a silk
cocoon, spun from glands like
a spider’s.
Unfortunately, many butterfly species are endangered or
threatened due to destruction of the areas where they live.
You can help by planting wildflowers for butterflies and
host plants for caterpillars. Garden shops, county extension
offices and books can help you figure out which flowers
and plants attract butterflies in your area.
9