Flutter By

Butterflies

Today’s the day

to learn about them.

Ok – fun facts:

Butterfly wings are transparent...

What?  But, they are. 

The wings have layers of chitin

(same stuff in our fingernails)

on them.  These layers

are also transparent.

Over the chitin,

is thousands of layers of tiny scales... 

and this is where

the colour is found.

Butterflies taste with their feet...

Butterflies enjoy liquid meals

 – always! 

They feed on nectar. 

Their huge proboscis

is like the longest straw

in the world...

They cannot chew.



As they emerge

from their pupal case,

their first thought

is their proboscis... 

This is in two parts

and they need to join these

 into one proboscis. 

 Apparently, young butterflies

can be seen curling and uncurling

their proboscis,

making sure it works properly!

Butterflies like mud! 

Nectar alone is not good enough

– they need minerals, too...

so, they drink from mud puddles!

 Males do this more often,

needing more salts and minerals

 for their sperm production.

 

Butterflies are cold blooded

and need the sun’s heat

to warm them

before they can fly.

A butterfly only lives

 for 2-4 weeks.

Butterflies are cool.

  Photos from here,

here and here.