Butterfly Facts
Caterpillars, when they
"hatch", actually eat their way out from inside the egg. Many continue to
eat the old shell for nourishment.
There are between ten and twenty
thousand species of butterflies in the world. about 700 species are found in North
America. the largest butterfly in the world is the Queen Alexandra Birdwing.
With a wingspan of about 28 cm (11 inches), it is found only in New Guinea. One of
the smallest is the Western Pigmy Blue that is found in the U.S. and has a wingspan
of about one centimeter.
Butterflies use their vision and scent
glands to attract and find mates. Different species emit different attractive odors
called pheromones. These odors may be detected from one to two km away. When
mating, the male and female remain paired with their abdomens connected from 15 minutes to
as long as three hours.
Some adult butterflies visit many types of flowers for
nectar while others are more picky about the flowers they choose for food.
Butterflies have four wings. There are two
forewings and two hindwings. They flap their wings quite slowly, usually from 5-20
beats per second. In contrast, some flies beat their wings as fast as 1000 times
per second. The fastest butterfly may travel at 80 km per hour (brief burst of
speed). The slower ones flutter about at only a few km per hour.
In the Arctic during late June, the sun shines
continuously and some butterflies will fly about for 24 hours a day!
The adult butterfly, after emerging from the pupa, does
not grow.
Only a few butterflies fly at night, but many moths fly
during the day.
Caterpillars destroy millions of dollars worth of crops
each year. The caterpillar of the white cabbage butterfly is one of the most
destructive, eating leafy vegetables, especially cabbage. Butterflies, on the other
hand, drink only nectar and will carry pollen from flower to flower. This cross
pollination of flowers is important in the production of fruit and seeds.
Some butterflies migrate each year. The monarch
may fly as far as southern Canada in the summer and retreat to the highlands of Mexico in
the winter. Some tagged monarchs have been found to travel more than 2,000 miles.
When it rains, butterflies find shelter in trees,
shrubs or tall grasses. Many may die in a big storm. Some types of
butterflies spend the winter in the pupal stage. They may be pupae for six to eight
months.
Butterflies have many enemies. Certain flies and
wasps lay their eggs in or on the caterpillar. When the eggs hatch, the small fly
larvae eat the caterpillar. Dragonflies and birds also eat large numbers of
caterpillars. Spiders catch them in their webs. Adult butterflies are also
attacked by birds, frogs, toads and lizards. Caterpillars may rely on camouflage to
help protect them. Other caterpillars eat plants with toxins which are incorporated
into their body. These caterpillars may be bright colored and birds quickly learn
not to bother them! The butterflies retain these toxins and the birds learn to leave
them alone also. Some butterflies that aren't distasteful mimic the coloration of
the toxic ones to survive. Butterflies only survive as a group because of the short
time between generations and the large number of eggs a single female butterfly will lay
during her short lifetime.
Some of the greatest dangers to the existence of the
butterflies comes from man. Many species are becoming extinct because of the
widespread use of pesticides and the loss of native plant communities. As man
continues to build highways and shopping centers, butterflies will find it increasingly
difficult to locate nectar sources and suitable host plants on which to lay their
eggs. In a small way we can help by reestablishing plants that keep the local
butterflies around.
Copyright 2001, Insights
Visual Productions, Inc
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