From the tiniest blues to the largest swallowtails, colourful butterflies are nature’s flying flowers. Everyone is familiar with butterflies, but how much do you really know about these insects? Here are 15 cool facts about butterflies.
Fast Facts about Butterflies
1. Butterflies are insects, large scaly wings set them apart.
2. Butterflies vary in size – the largest species may reach 12 inches across, while the smallest may only be half an inch.
3. Butterflies have three pairs of legs. Their feet have little claws to help them stand on flowers. Some butterflies, like the peacock, only use four of their legs, carrying the two front legs against their bodies.
4. A group of butterflies is sometimes called a flutter.
5. There are 165,000 known species of butterflies found on every continent except Antarctica.
6. Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees.
7. Despite popular belief, butterfly wings are clear – the colors and patterns we see are made by the reflection of the tiny scales covering them.
8. Butterflies taste with their feet.
9. Butterflies have four wings.
10. Scientists estimate that there are between 15000 and 20000 different species of butterfly.
11. Some butterflies can fly 50km/h or faster. Slow flying butterflies probably fly about 10km/h.
12. A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.
13. Butterflies and insects have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton. This protects the insect and keeps water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out.
14. Butterflies live on an all-liquid diet. Speaking of butterflies eating, adult butterflies can only feed on liquids, usually nectar. Their mouthparts are modified to enable them to drink, but they can’t chew solids.
15. Butterflies and insects have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton. This protects the insect and keeps water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out.
