henrykoh
08-May-2008, 04:13 PM
For a newbie like me this is quite nice reading but for the old butts that hang around here this may be just old news :grin2:
The word butterfly came from the English word Buttorfleoge. Perhaps because, in mediaeval times, butterflies could be seen hovering around butterchurns or that their excrement is yellowish in colour.
Caterpillars, when they "hatch", actually eat their way out from inside the egg. Many continue to eat the old shell for nourishment.
There are between ten and twenty thousand species of butterflies in the world. about 700 species are found in North America. the largest butterfly in the world is the Queen Alexandra Birdwing. With a wingspan of about 28 cm (11 inches), it is found only in New Guinea. One of the smallest is the Western Pigmy Blue that is found in the U.S. and has a wingspan of about one centimeter.
Butterflies use their vision and scent glands to attract and find mates. Different species emit different attractive odors called pheromones. These odors may be detected from one to two km away. When mating, the male and female remain paired with their abdomens connected from 15 minutes to as long as three hours.
Some adult butterflies visit many types of flowers for nectar while others are more picky about the flowers they choose for food.
Butterflies have four wings. There are two forewings and two hindwings. They flap their wings quite slowly, usually from 5-20 beats per second. In contrast, some flies beat their wings as fast as 1000 times per second. The fastest butterfly may travel at 80 km per hour (brief burst of speed). The slower ones flutter about at only a few km per hour.
In the Arctic during late June, the sun shines continuously and some butterflies will fly about for 24 hours a day!
The adult butterfly, after emerging from the pupa, does not grow.
Only a few butterflies fly at night, but many moths fly during the day.
Caterpillars destroy millions of dollars worth of crops each year. The caterpillar of the white cabbage butterfly is one of the most destructive, eating leafy vegetables, especially cabbage. Butterflies, on the other hand, drink only nectar and will carry pollen from flower to flower. This cross pollination of flowers is important in the production of fruit and seeds.
Some butterflies migrate each year. The monarch may fly as far as southern Canada in the summer and retreat to the highlands of Mexico in the winter. Some tagged monarchs have been found to travel more than 2,000 miles.
When it rains, butterflies find shelter in trees, shrubs or tall grasses. Many may die in a big storm. Some types of butterflies spend the winter in the pupal stage. They may be pupae for six to eight months.
Butterflies have many enemies. Certain flies and wasps lay their eggs in or on the caterpillar. When the eggs hatch, the small fly larvae eat the caterpillar. Dragonflies and birds also eat large numbers of caterpillars. Spiders catch them in their webs. Adult butterflies are also attacked by birds, frogs, toads and lizards. Caterpillars may rely on camouflage to help protect them. Other caterpillars eat plants with toxins which are incorporated into their body. These caterpillars may be bright colored and birds quickly learn not to bother them! The butterflies retain these toxins and the birds learn to leave them alone also. Some butterflies that aren't distasteful mimic the coloration of the toxic ones to survive. Butterflies only survive as a group because of the short time between generations and the large number of eggs a single female butterfly will lay during her short lifetime.
Some of the greatest dangers to the existence of the butterflies comes from man. Many species are becoming extinct because of the widespread use of pesticides and the loss of native plant communities. As man continues to build highways and shopping centers, butterflies will find it increasingly difficult to locate nectar sources and suitable host plants on which to lay their eggs. In a small way we can help by reestablishing plants that keep the local butterflies around.
Source: http://www.sciencevideos.com/products/life/butterflies_facts.htm
The word butterfly came from the English word Buttorfleoge. Perhaps because, in mediaeval times, butterflies could be seen hovering around butterchurns or that their excrement is yellowish in colour.
Caterpillars, when they "hatch", actually eat their way out from inside the egg. Many continue to eat the old shell for nourishment.
There are between ten and twenty thousand species of butterflies in the world. about 700 species are found in North America. the largest butterfly in the world is the Queen Alexandra Birdwing. With a wingspan of about 28 cm (11 inches), it is found only in New Guinea. One of the smallest is the Western Pigmy Blue that is found in the U.S. and has a wingspan of about one centimeter.
Butterflies use their vision and scent glands to attract and find mates. Different species emit different attractive odors called pheromones. These odors may be detected from one to two km away. When mating, the male and female remain paired with their abdomens connected from 15 minutes to as long as three hours.
Some adult butterflies visit many types of flowers for nectar while others are more picky about the flowers they choose for food.
Butterflies have four wings. There are two forewings and two hindwings. They flap their wings quite slowly, usually from 5-20 beats per second. In contrast, some flies beat their wings as fast as 1000 times per second. The fastest butterfly may travel at 80 km per hour (brief burst of speed). The slower ones flutter about at only a few km per hour.
In the Arctic during late June, the sun shines continuously and some butterflies will fly about for 24 hours a day!
The adult butterfly, after emerging from the pupa, does not grow.
Only a few butterflies fly at night, but many moths fly during the day.
Caterpillars destroy millions of dollars worth of crops each year. The caterpillar of the white cabbage butterfly is one of the most destructive, eating leafy vegetables, especially cabbage. Butterflies, on the other hand, drink only nectar and will carry pollen from flower to flower. This cross pollination of flowers is important in the production of fruit and seeds.
Some butterflies migrate each year. The monarch may fly as far as southern Canada in the summer and retreat to the highlands of Mexico in the winter. Some tagged monarchs have been found to travel more than 2,000 miles.
When it rains, butterflies find shelter in trees, shrubs or tall grasses. Many may die in a big storm. Some types of butterflies spend the winter in the pupal stage. They may be pupae for six to eight months.
Butterflies have many enemies. Certain flies and wasps lay their eggs in or on the caterpillar. When the eggs hatch, the small fly larvae eat the caterpillar. Dragonflies and birds also eat large numbers of caterpillars. Spiders catch them in their webs. Adult butterflies are also attacked by birds, frogs, toads and lizards. Caterpillars may rely on camouflage to help protect them. Other caterpillars eat plants with toxins which are incorporated into their body. These caterpillars may be bright colored and birds quickly learn not to bother them! The butterflies retain these toxins and the birds learn to leave them alone also. Some butterflies that aren't distasteful mimic the coloration of the toxic ones to survive. Butterflies only survive as a group because of the short time between generations and the large number of eggs a single female butterfly will lay during her short lifetime.
Some of the greatest dangers to the existence of the butterflies comes from man. Many species are becoming extinct because of the widespread use of pesticides and the loss of native plant communities. As man continues to build highways and shopping centers, butterflies will find it increasingly difficult to locate nectar sources and suitable host plants on which to lay their eggs. In a small way we can help by reestablishing plants that keep the local butterflies around.
Source: http://www.sciencevideos.com/products/life/butterflies_facts.htm