Butterflies

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Butterflies are a type of insect. Their bodies have three parts, a head, a thorax which is the middle part, and an abdomen at the end of its body. They have what is called an exoskeleton on the outside of their bodies, which is a hard coating to protect their body. Butterflies have six legs, which are attached to the thorax. They have four wings which they use to fly around, which are also attached to its thorax. They have antennae on their head which they use feeling and smelling the world around them.

There are thousands of different species of butterflies and they can be found in many places around world. Fifty nine species can be found in the UK. Butterflies have very pretty wings and these look different depending on what species it is. Their wings can have amazing patterns on them and can be all sorts of colours.

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Butterflies aren’t born as butterflies. They, like many insects, go through metamorphosis. When they hatch out of their egg they are larvae called caterpillars. Caterpillars start off tiny and spend all their time eating so they can get bigger and stronger.

During their time as a caterpillar they shed their exoskeleton four times as their body grows. Some caterpillars have hairs or spikes on their body. One of the reasons for this is to put off predators that might want to eat them.

Once they have grown big enough the caterpillars attach themself to a leaf or something else by their tail. They make a ‘J’ shape hanging from the leaf. They then form a chrysalis around themselves and magically turn themselves into a butterfly!

This is called metamorphosis. Caterpillars don’t just grow wings inside their chrysalis, they actually mostly turn to liquid and then completely reform into a butterfly.

When the butterflies hatch out of their chrysalis the first thing they do is stretch out their new wings. At first their wings will be wet and folded up, so they have to be patient and let them dry. Once they have done this they can use their wings to fly for the first time.

After they have become a butterfly some only live for a week or so, while others can live for months. It depends on what species they are. The Monarch Butterfly can live for about nine months.

The Lifecycle of a Butterfly

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Most butterflies live on their own, however there are some species that actually live in big groups together. These groups are called colonies, like many other groups of insects. When butterflies lay their eggs they then leave them to it. They don’t help them or look after them.

Many butterflies will stay in one area. However, there are some butterflies that migrate. This means they will travel long distances, even thousands of miles! They do this usually in search of warmer weather, to make sure they can find enough food for themselves or to find a suitable place to lay their eggs.

Whatever stage they are in caterpillars and butterflies are all herbivores, but they eat different things. When they are caterpillars they eat leaves but once they are butterflies they prefer to drink nectar out of flowers like bees. They have a similar tongue which they can use like a straw. Just like bees, they also help transfer pollen from one flower to the other. This is important in helping pollinate flowers and helping crops grow.

Did you know...

Butterflies make a sticky liquid as they are laying their eggs so the eggs stick to a leaf until they hatch. This keeps them safe, but also means when the caterpillar hatches they will have food to eat straight away...the leaf!