Butterfly Fun Facts

1)    A group of butterflies is officially called a kaleidoscope, although they are sometimes referred to as a swarm. Groups of caterpillars are called an army. (7)

2)    Butterflies have scales on their wings. They are covered in thousands of tiny scales that make up their vibrant colors and patterns.  (1)

3)    They survive on a liquid diet. Butterflies use their proboscis, similar to a straw, to suck up nectar from flowers, salt from mud puddles, and juice from rotting fruits.

4)    Butterflies eyes are made of 6,000 lenses and can see ultraviolet light.  Many flowers have evolved to display ultraviolet patterns so these looks like an airport landing strip or helicopter pad advertising, “Food is here!”.  (1)

5)    Some butterflies use their feet to taste leaves to determine if the leaf is worthy to lay eggs on and provide food for their caterpillars. (2)

6)    Each butterfly has a specific plant/s that they can lay their eggs on. This is called their host plant because it provides nourishment to the larva. (3)

7)    Butterfly wings move in a figure “8” motion rather than flapping up and down like birds.

8)    Some species have special courtship flights they use to make sure their mate is the right species and is healthy. (6)

9)    Butterflies can’t move their wing muscles at all if they get too cold.  During the day, you may see butterflies basking with their wings open to catch the warmth from the sun. (4)

10)   Butterflies make a chrysalis, moths make a cocoon.

11)  Some butterflies may only live a few days and others close to a year.

12)  Summer monarch butterflies are genetically different than the late summer monarchs which migrate to Mexico.  Migratory monarchs live 8-9 months, while summer monarchs live 2-4 weeks. (5)

13)  Tiny stickers help scientist learn about monarch migration.  In early fall volunteers tag monarch butterflies with stickers during their great journey to the annual migration wintering grounds in Mexico.

14)  The top butterfly flight speed is 12 miles per hour.  This fastest butterfly is the skipper which can fly at 37 miles per hour but most butterflies fly at 5 to 12 miles per hours. (1)

15)  Butterflies overwinter in all stages of development.  They may hibernate at any stage (egg, larval, pupal or adult) but generally each species is dormant in only one stage.

To learn more about how to attact pollinators to your garden, visit our Free Seminars this weekend.

Fact Sources:

1)      https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/butterfly

2)      https://detroitzoo.org/animals/zoo-animals/butterfly/

3)      https://www.lewisginter.org/10-favorite-butterfly-facts/ Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

4)      https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/butterfly2.htm

5)      www.monarchwatch.org

6)      http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Lepidoptera/

7)      https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/call-group-butterflies-fa80701d0ec8218