Butterflies are insects. A butterflys lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.

Butterflies attach their eggs to leaves with a special glue. Most caterpillars are plant eaters (herbivores). Fully grown caterpillars attach themselves to a suitable twig or leaf before shedding their outside layer of s in to reveal a hard s in underneath nown as a chrysalis. An adult butterfly will eventually emerge from the chrysalis where it will wait a few hours for its wings to fill with blood and dry, before flying for the first time. Butterflies can live in the adult stage from anywhere between a wee and a year, depending on the species. Butterflies have four wings. Butterflies often have brightly coloured wings with uni!ue patterns made up of tiny scales. Most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers.

Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet. "cientists estimate that there are between #$%%% and &%%%% different species of butterfly. Birdwing butterflies have large, angular wings and fly in a similar way to birds. Monarch butterflies are nown for their long migration. 'very year monarch butterflies will travel a great distance (sometimes over (%%% m), females will lay eggs and a new generation of monarchs will travel bac , completing the cycle.

1. It is believed that the name 'butterfly' was first coined to describe the Yellow Brimstone Butterfly -- a variety commonly seen across Europe. It was actually known as 'Butter-colored Fly' earlier before !ettin! its official name. ". #ccordin! to scientists there are about "$ $$$ known butterfly species around the world. %. Butterflies and moths belon! to the order &epidoptera which is derived from the 'reek words (lepidos( and (pteron( that mean scale and win! respectively.

). *hey have four win!s which are actually transparent. *he vivid colors are due to overlappin! bri!ht scales. *he win!s are very delicate and can !et dama!ed if touched lifted or held by hands. *he scales too can !et rubbed off if touched. +. ,any of them have intricate and pretty patterns on their win!s. *hese desi!ns are intended for camoufla!e purposes. -ome desi!ns deceive predators into thinkin! them to be some other lar!er creature. .. *hese patterns are also useful in courtship rituals. *hese insects fly in circles around one another to find a mate. /. -ome lay their e!!s on the underside of specific plants. 0thers like the 1abba!e 2hite Butterfly lay their e!!s on cabba!e leaves3 the e!!s and caterpillars that emer!e are velvety !reen and blend in well with the cabba!e leaves. 4. -ome butterfly species like the 5ainted &ady are mi!ratory and are known to fly thousands of miles durin! winters. 6. *hey are found worldwide e7cept on the

continent of #ntarctica. 1$. *hey cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 4.8 F. 11. Bein! cold-blooded it becomes necessary for them to !et warm with the help of their fli!ht muscles. *hey achieve this by baskin! under the sun so that they can absorb the sunrays. 1". *hey tend to thrive mostly in the *ropics where the abundant fauna provides them with food and breedin! !rounds. 1%. Instead of a mouth butterflies have a lon! straw-like structure called proboscis. *hey taste food by standin! on it. *his is because their taste sensors are found in their feet. 1). *he body of an adult butterfly is divided into head thora7 and abdomen. *hey have si7 le!s. 1+. 5ollen !ets attached to the le!s of the butterfly and is carried from plant to plant assistin! in fertili9ation and the propa!ation of new seeds and plants. 1.. ,ost species are diurnal. *hey fly durin! the day and close their win!s while restin!. 1/. *hey wei!h as little as two rose petals: 14. Birdwin! butterflies possess lar!e an!ular

win!s because of which they appear to fly like birds. 16. 5arnassian butterflies have been found hi!h up in the ;ocky ,ountains at altitudes of 1) $$$ feet. "$. #s it increases in si9e the skin of the caterpillar !rows with it and so it is necessary for the insect to shed it. ,ost caterpillars shed their out!rown skin five times before enterin! the pupa sta!e. "1. Butterflies have very short lifespans. -ome such as ,onarchs and ,ournin! 1loaks can live up to 6 to 1$ months but others live anywhere from a few months to weeks or maybe even for some hours. "". #ll butterflies aren't nectar-lovin!. -ome like the ;ed #dmiral Butterfly have decidedly peculiar tastes. *hey like rottin! fruit and animal dun!. "%. *hey e7crete ,econium a red li<uid =that looks like blood> which is made up of waste material from the pupal sta!e. "). ,ale -wallowtail butterflies habitually !ather around mud puddles to !et nutrients and

minerals from the mud. *his is known as (puddlin!(. "+. 1ertain butterfly species like the ,onarch Butterfly produce to7ins that discoura!e predators from feedin! on them. In the ,onarch's case the to7in production is aided by the milkweed plant on which it usually feeds. ".. 1aterpillars are boneless but have over 1$$$ muscles. *hese muscles help the caterpillar move very <uickly from place to place. "/. Butterflies are fra!ile creatures and their population can either thrive or be adversely affected with chan!es in the climatic conditions. 5lenty of butterflies indicate a healthy and wellbalanced ecosystem while a dearth can denote a possible environmental problem. "4. *hey are a valuable source of food for various birds and thus play an important role in maintainin! the ecolo!ical balance. "6. 1onservation of natural habitats and reduction in the use of pesticides herbicides and other chemicals are re<uired for their proliferation.

%$. -ome butterflies are becomin! <uite rare as their natural habitats are shrinkin!. ?erces Blue a beautiful-lookin! #merican butterfly species that was found in the -an Francisco 5eninsula became e7tinct in 16)% due to habitat loss. ;ead more at Bu99le@ http@AAwww.bu99le.comAeditorialsA%-"""$$+-./)+/.asp