Facts About Butterflies

Butterflies have Lepidoptera or scales on their wings. Every scale has only one color. Pigments most often produce the colors. On the scale surface is a reflective microstructure that causes the appearance of iridescence.

How do butterflies communicate?

Butterflies use chemical signals to communicate, for instance the males produce pheromones to attract the females. There are a few species that use sound to communicate. For instance the male Cracker Butterfly produces noise using its wings.

How do butterflies breathe or smell?

Caterpillars and adult butterflies breathe through a series of tiny openings that run along their sides. These are Spiracles. Each spiracle has a trachea tube that carries oxygen into their bodies. They do not have lungs and noses. Butterflies smell by using their antennae.

Do butterflies have hearts and brains ?

Yes, like other types of insects, butterflies have both hearts and brains. The subesophageal ganglion is the center of the nervous system of a butterfly. It is located in its thorax rather than its head. The heart of a butterfly is a long chamber that runs along the length of the upper side of its body. Lacking the red coloring of blood it pumps hemolymph from the rear and forward of the insect in order to nourish the internal organs. It functions similar to our blood.

Where do butterflies go at night?

At night as well as during bad weather, butterflies generally hang upside down on leaves or crawl into gaps between rocks and other items and then sleep.

How many kinds of butterfly are there?

Globally, there are more or less 28,000 species. In the United States and Canada there are approximately 725 species. Mexico has roughly 2,000 species. Nearly 80 percent of all species are in the tropics.

Which state has the most butterfly species?

Arizona is the state that has 220 species.

What are the largest and smallest butterflies?

The Ornithoptera alexandrae or Queen Alexandra's Birdwing has a wing span of 11-1/8 inches or 280 mm. They exist only in the New Guinea rainforest. Unfortunately, these great beauties are becoming an endangered species since their natural habitat is being destroyed.
The Brephidium exilis or Pygmy Blue with a wing span of 1/2 inch or 15 mm is the smallest and native to the southern United States.

What are the world's rarest and most common butterflies?

The Ornithoptera alexandrae or Queen Alexandra's Birdwing has a wing span of 11-1/8 inches or 280 mm. They exist only in the New Guinea rainforest. Unfortunately, these great beauties are becoming an endangered species since their natural habitat is being destroyed.
The Cabbage White is the most common of butterflies.

How can I tell a moth from a butterfly?

Butterflies and moths are both Lepidoptera, they belong to the same group of insects. They are related in many ways, since their wings are covered with scales. For the majority, butterflies are more brightly colorful, while moths are generally drab in color, although there are many remarkable exceptions to this principle. Most often butterflies are active during the day, although not all whereas moths are active at nighttime. One good way to tell the difference is to look at their antennae. The antennae of a butterfly is has a long shaft and is shaped similar to a golf club. The majority of moths have either complicated affairs with many cross-filaments or simple filaments tapering to a point.