Interesting Facts About Butterflies
There are about 28,000 extant species of butterflies that are divided into 30 orders, the main basis of classification being their wing structure.
Butterflies and moths belong to an order called Lepidoptera. Butterflies are found worldwide except in Antarctica. Butterflies’ sizes vary from a tiny 1/8 inch to a huge almost 12 inches. They have 6 legs, one pair of antennae, a segmented body that has three distinguishable parts: a head, a thorax and an abdomen. Butterflies have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton. Though they don’t have lungs, butterflies breath through openings in their abdomen called “spiracles”.
Butterflies are cold blooded and it is necessary for them to warm up their flight muscles. This is done by stretching out in the sun in order to absorb heat. However, if their body temperature drops below 86 degrees they have to wait until they warm back up.
All butterflies have complex eyes made up of about 60,000 lenses and there are certain species of butterflies that have thousands of eyes. Butterflies can see color such as green, red and yellow and they can even see ultraviolet light.
Butterflies smell with their antennae, “taste” with their feet and drink nectar and juices through their proboscis (straw-like structure). They Butterflies have a preference for flowers that are red, yellow, pink, or purple and have single petals.
The Cabbage White Butterfly
The Cabbage White Butterfly is the most common species of butterfly around and are found mostly in vegetable gardens. Its caterpillar that is green in color blend in perfectly with the cabbage leaves.
The Queen Alexandra Birdwing
The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is the largest and also the rarest extant species of butterfly. It is native to Papua New Guinea where it inhibits rain forest. An adult female’s wingspan can reach 26 cm.
The Pygmy Butterfly
The Pygmy butterflies earned the honor of having the shortest wingspan at 11mm. Eastern Tailed Blue, Marine Blue, Eastern Tailed Blue, Small Checkered Skipper and the Bog Elfin all share top honors for Canada’s smallest butterflies with wingspan of 16mm.
The Painted Lady Butterfly
The Painted Lady is the most wide spread butterfly species that is found in all part of the world except in South America and Antarctica.
The Brimstone Butterfly
The Brimstone butterfly (Gonepterix rhamni) lives the longest among all butterfly species. Typically, adults has a 10 month lifespan.
The Spring Azure
The Spring Azure is one of the shortest lived butterflies lasting only a couple of days.
The Giant Swallowtail
Around 700 species of butterflies are found in North America, but only a few species feed on agricultural crops. The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly found in Canada. It’s wingspan can reach up to 5″.
The Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak has been known to play dead in order to escape predators. Mourning Cloaks and Compton Tortoiseshells frequently feed at Sapsucker drillings.
Northern Pearly Eyes
Northern pearly eyes butterfly flies at night and have ears on their wings so they can avoid bats. Also, theses butterflies are territorial hence they will attack other male intruders.
The Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Milbert’s Tortoiseshells lay eggs in clusters containing upwards of a thousand.
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27 Responses to “Interesting Facts About Butterflies”
On May 26, 2009 at 9:04 am
So gorgeous and beautiful butterflies. Beautiful article.
On May 26, 2009 at 9:50 am
Those are such beautiful butterflies. We have a painted lady in our garden most days at the moment. I love watching it. It is funny, I love butterflies but have a phobia about moths. A great and well presented article.
Christine
On May 26, 2009 at 9:58 am
Very nice article with beautiful images of butterflies.Thank you
On May 26, 2009 at 10:07 am
Those are someamazing butterflies
Lovely article
On May 26, 2009 at 10:58 am
Ilearned somethings I didn’t know and the photos were stunning. Well done.
On May 26, 2009 at 11:44 am
Enjoyable read and stunning photos, thank you papaleng.
On May 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm
This article is a feast for the eyes.
On May 26, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Awesome article my friend;love the pic’s too.
On May 26, 2009 at 12:25 pm
interesting article! great read!
On May 26, 2009 at 12:57 pm
interesting article and spectacular photos!
On May 26, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Wow, what a completely utterly wonderful sharing article. Well done!
On May 26, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Awesome article,beautiful creatures.
On May 26, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Great article and pictures!
On May 26, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Butterflies are the most beautiful of all nature’s creation.Your pictures show their true colors.
On May 26, 2009 at 9:00 pm
nice pics of butterflies. and you’re so resourceful
On May 26, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Beautiful butterflies,
This is a terrific article,
Filled with lots of great information
On May 27, 2009 at 12:57 am
Amazing fact and creature. Great article.
On May 27, 2009 at 1:57 am
Great article, but what’s the name of the butterfly in the first photo with the transparent wings? Gorgeous insect!
On May 27, 2009 at 8:10 am
Oh, they are simply gorgeous.
On May 27, 2009 at 10:30 am
These are absolutely beautiful Papaleng , thanks so much for sharing.
On May 27, 2009 at 11:39 am
thanks for all the info. Wow these are truly beautiful and interesting creatures.
On May 27, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Everyone loves butterflies.
On May 29, 2009 at 3:03 am
great pics
On May 29, 2009 at 11:35 am
wow they’re so colorful! woah..:) i haven’t seen anything like this! and thanks for the info too cool!
On May 30, 2009 at 7:33 pm
your biological articles are really informative and never ceases to amaze..
On June 10, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Very beautiful and so well presented…
On July 7, 2009 at 9:01 am
too much facts about butterflies!
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