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Butterflies are some of natures most beautiful creatures. Their vibrant colors and intricate wing patterns draws our attention and makes even the grumpiest person smile. They are delicate, and harmless, and a sheer joy to watch. But how much do you really know about butterflies?

Here are a few facts you might find interesting.

General Information

The creature we call a butterfly originally got its name from a specific species of butterfly known as the Yellow Brimstone butterfly. It was originally known as the butter colored fly, and later came to be called the butterfly. The name then transferred to all species of this wonderful creature.

There are 28,000 known species of the butterfly. Their gorgeous colored and marked wings act as camouflage from predators.

Butterflies can also see colors. They see red, green, and yellow.

Flight of the Butterfly

Butterflies are completely unable to fly if their body temperature is lower than 68 degrees. They love sunshine for good reason.

While some moths can fly at speeds up to 25 miles an hour, the top flight for a butterfly is 12 miles an hour.

Monarch butterflies travel from the Great Lakes to the Golf of Mexico and back each year. That is a distance of 2000 miles one way. If a Monarch could travel at the top speed for the entire trip without resting it would still take them a week to make the flight.

Image via Wikipedia

Eating

Butterflies actually taste with their hind legs. Which makes the idea of stomping grapes take on a whole new meaning.

Their diet includes nectar, tree sap, rotting fruit, and animal dung. If you want a butterfly to land on you work up a good sweat because they are also attracted to the salty taste of your skin.

Butterfly Garden

If you want to enjoy the beauty of butterflies all summer long, then plant a butterfly garden.

What you will need to make the perfect garden to attract butterflies is a sunny location. An area that gets sunshine for at least 5 to 6 hours a day. Bushes or other plants that form a windbreak so that the butterfly can eat without worrying about being blown off the flower he is feasting on. Some flat stones, for resting places for the butterfly, and a bucket of wet sand, or a mud puddle to allow the butterfly to get water when he is thirsty.

The type of plants you plant in your garden to attract the butterfly will depend on the type of butterflies that are normally active in your area. You can determine the type of butterflies you have near you by purchasing a book or checking on line and viewing photographs and descriptions of butterflies. Once you know what kind of butterfly you want to attract, then you can do an Internet search to see what types of plants are recommended.

Butterflies are a beautiful part of our natural world, and now that you know a little more about these incredible creatures, hopefully watching them will be even more enjoyable.