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Fascinating Facts about Butterflies & Moths...

When you think of butterflies, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the colorful flutter of wings...but there is so much more than initially meets the eye!

Take a look below at some of the fascinating things about butterflies.

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Did you know... ...that the wings of butterflies and moths are actually transparent? The iridescent scales, which overlap like shingles on a roof, give the wings the colors that we see. Contrary to popular belief, many butterflies can be held gently by the wings without harming the butterfly. Of course, some are more fragile than others, and are easily damaged if not handled very gently. Both butterflies and moths belong to the order lepidoptera. In Greek, this means scale wing. Above, 200x magnification of Sunset Moth Wing, showing individual scales

Click here to visit our page of  microscope photos.

Photo courtesy of and copyrighted by Tina Carvalho.

 

Did you know... ...that butterflies taste with their feet? Their taste sensors are located in the feet, and by standing on their food, they can taste it! All butterflies have six legs and feet. In some species such as the monarch, the front pair of legs remains tucked up under the body most of the time, and are difficult to see.

 

In the photo above, you can see the proboscis of the recently emerged monarch butterfly. Notice that it is in two pieces and has a forked appearance. As soon as it emerges, the butterfly begins working on the proboscis with two palpi (found on each side of the proboscis), forming it into one tube. It must do this successfully in order to be able to nectar.

Did you know... ...that butterflies don't have mouths that allow them to bite or chew? They, along with most moths have a long straw like structure called a proboscis which they use to drink nectar and juices. When not in use, the proboscis remains coiled like a garden hose. Some moths, like the Luna moth don't have a proboscis. Their adult lifespan is very short, and they do not eat.  They simply seek a mate, reproduce, then die. The Asian Vampire moth pierces the skin with its strong, sharp proboscis and drinks the blood of animals.

 

Did you know... ...that a caterpillar grows to about 27,000 times the size it was when it first emerged from its egg? If a human baby weighed 9 pounds at birth and grew at the same rate as a caterpillar, it would weigh 243,000 pounds when fully grown. Shown above:  Eggs of Painted Ladies butterflies on hollyhock leaf. Standard size paper clip shows relative size of eggs. Click here to see a caterpillar hatch from one of the eggs.

Shown above:  5th instar monarch caterpillar on milkweed Because the caterpillar's skin doesn't grow along with it as ours does, it must periodically shed the skin as it becomes too tight. Most caterpillars molt five times before entering the pupa stage.

 

Did you know... ...that the butterfly doesn't spin a cocoon? You will often erroneously hear and read that the adult butterfly emerges from its cocoon. Moths spin cocoons of silken threads, often using leaves to help surround themselves. Caterpillars shed their final skin to reveal a pupa. The outer skin of this pupa hardens to form a chrysalis which protects and hides the amazing transformation that is occurring inside. Pupae take on a wide variety of appearances, depending on the species of butterfly. Some hang from beneath leaves or twigs. Others are girdled to the side of a stem much like a worker on a telephone pole. Some are smooth and shiny while others are rough and even spiky. Some are beautifully colored with dots and lines of gold while others are drab and barely noticeable. No matter what the design, the function is the same - to lessen the chances of being eaten by a predator and to increase the likelihood of producing an adult butterfly or moth.

Click here to watch a Giant Swallowtail emerge from its chrysalis.