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Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran suborder Rhopalocera, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the superfamilies Hedyloidea (moth-butterflies in the Americas) and Papilionoidea (all others).
May 3, 2024 · Learn about butterflies, the colourful and diverse insects that belong to the order Lepidoptera. Find out how they undergo metamorphosis, what they feed on, and which families they belong to.
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Learn about the biology, distribution and conservation of Indian butterflies with over 125,000 images and data from contributors. Explore the species of the day, checklists, 30-min counts and local projects.
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Oct 15, 2010 · Check out the lifecycle of a monarch butterfly - from pupa to adult. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for...
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Butterflies are beautiful, brightly coloured insects with a fascinating life cycle that makes them one of the greatest examples of transformation and growth. They have many magical associations in folklore. According to Irish folklore, butterflies are the souls of humans able to pass between worlds; it is bad luck to harm one. And in Native America...
Insects are everywhere. Scientists estimate that there are around 200 million insects on the planet for every living person and that we have yet to discover most of them. There are a number of reasons why scientists believe insects are so successful, including their hard exoskeleton, their use of chemicals and their complex life cycles. Each stage ...
There are around 18,000 species of butterfly in the world. The largest, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing butterfly, lives only in Papua New Guinea and has a wingspan of 20-30 cm. On the opposite end of the scale, the Western Pygmy Blue butterfly in western USA has a wingspan of just over 1 cm! Butterflies live on every continent except Antarctica, but be...
Butterflies and moths are members of the classification order Lepidoptera, and they are similar in many ways. In fact, it can be hard to pinpoint differences as there are always exceptions to the rules – butterflies can be dull; moths can be colourful. It is a myth that colourfulness is a difference. In general, though, moths are nocturnal and leav...
Butterflies have a poor sense of smell and typically use their eyes to search for food. They use their feet to taste! Their feet are covered in receptors that help them find plants that are good for them and caterpillars to eat. This is important as caterpillars need as much energy as possible to survive pupation. Adult butterflies feed with a prob...
Butterfly eyes contain thousands of tiny lenses and special photoreceptors for ultraviolet light that scientists believe help them navigate during long migrations. Many flowers use UV markings invisible to human eyes to attract butterflies, which are crucial pollinators. Unlike bees, butterflies can see the colour red.
Every species is different, but when it comes to speed and distance, a few species stand out! Skippers Skippers are the fastest of all butterflies. There are about 4,000 species, and their reaction times are twice as fast as ours! They can reach speeds of up to 37 mph and keep pace with a horse in a race! Painted Lady Painted lady butterflies make ...
Butterflies have four different life stages; egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult. They undergo a metamorphosis (complete change) during their development. 1. A female butterfly lays her eggs on the leaves of a suitable plant. The length of time it takes for the eggs to hatch depends on the species, with some hatching in a few weeks and others waiting ...
The brightly coloured wings of butterflies act as a warning to predators that their tiny bodies are packed with toxic chemicals. Many butterflies share the same warning colouration (black and yellow or red), and many harmless species mimic these colours too! Small birds that prey on butterflies are themselves prey for owls and hawks. To deter them,...
Habitat loss is the main reason why butterflies and moths are in decline. And increased urbanisation, land management and climate change are all to blame. For many species, such as the North American population of Monarch butterflies, deforestation is a major threat. Removing trees destroys the protective canopy, which acts as a blanket and an umbr...
Learn about the amazing transformation, diversity and adaptations of butterflies, the beautiful insects with colourful wings. Discover how they eat, see, fly, migrate and defend themselves, and what threats they face from habitat loss and climate change.
A butterfly is a (usually) day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera. They are grouped together in the suborder Rhopalocera . Butterflies are closely related to moths , from which they evolved about 56 million years ago. [1]
Jun 21, 2024 · Monarch butterfly, member of the milkweed butterfly group known for its large size, its orange and black wings, and its long annual migrations. Monarchs are found primarily in North, Central, and South America but also occur intermittently in other parts of the world.
