Some Facts about Butterflies, Moths & Caterpillars

The wings of butterflies are covered by scales. A long time ago the Greeks thought that people turned into butterflies. Read more about Butterflies in History from this website.

Some butterflies can fly the distance of half way around the Earth. The butterfly's eggs have shells to protect themselves. The butterflies can smell each other very much, but moths doesn't have a nose. Butterflies fly in the day time, and moths fly at night., According to Chinese story, once a lady ate a butterfly, so we have a saying about "butterflies in our stomach".

Caterpillars can double their body weights very fast. Many caterpillars have spikes to protect themselves. We can get silk from moth caterpillars. When caterpillars turn into pupas.they change to the color of the leaf. Many caterpillars get eaten by ants and birds.

Many caterpillars get eaten by ants and birds.

The flying speeds of butterflies are all different. When it rains, the leaves of the plants becomes their umbrella. Butterflies drink with their long tonutes. Many butterflies die during migration.

There are 150,000 to 200,000 different kinds of butterflies. The largest butterfly is the Queeen Alexander, which spreads 28 cm. The smallest butterflies are western pygmy butterflies,which spreads their wings only 1 cm. (see photograph) Some butterflies are poisonous if eaten by birds--colored yellow, black, and red. The eye spots confuses birds.

Life Cycle of the Butterfly & Moth

The cycle starts with a egg. When it hatches,the caterpillar comes out and eats the egg. When it finishes the egg, it starts on the leaf it was born on. Caterpillars eat a lot. After a couple of weeks of eating, the caterpillar starts to form a pupa.

The process to become a butterfly or moth can take a week or even months. After this long time, the pupa starts to shake. Suddenly, a butterfly or moth appears It hangs on the pupa and lets blood rush to its wings. When enough blood is there, the butterfly / moth flies away.

Stages of development of a moth.

Flight

Milkweed and swallowtail have small light bodies and big wings that help them to glide and fly great distances.

Eye spots on the wings of butterflies confuse their enemies namely birds.