Facts about the animal kingdom

Fascinating Facts about Butterflies You Did Not Know

 
Josie F. Turner
By Josie F. Turner, Journalist specialized in Animal Welfare. May 17, 2017
Fascinating Facts about Butterflies You Did Not Know

Throughout your life you will have seen hundreds of butterflies in fields, in forests and in the city. They belong to the family of the Lepidoptera, most of which can fly.

Butterflies, unlike many other insects, are a species that are adored by humans. We love to admire their beauty and become enchanted by them.

Butterflies are present worldwide and are appreciated, for this reason we dedicate this article for you to discover fascinating facts about butterflies you did not know.

You may also be interested in: 10 Things You Did not Know About Cats

Did you know..?

Perhaps you are passionate about butterflies due to their vibrant colors or their mere presence, that injects beauty into the environment. But, there are many aspects of their life that you may not know:

  • There are more than 17,500 recorded butterfly species around the world, 750 of which can be found in the US.

  • Most butterfly species registered are nocturnal but the most famous ones fly about during the day, in sunlight.
  • Eastern cultures see the butterfly as an incarnation of the soul, as did the ancient Greeks.
  • They can live between 9 and 10 months maximum.
  • Mating can last from 20 minutes to several hours.
  • The butterflies found during the day evolved from the nocturnal ones, which emerged about 40 million years ago.
  • It is the second animal order with most species, i.e. there is an unimaginable variety of them.
  • To reach the nectar of the flowers butterflies extract their mouth as if it were a straw.
  • Their eyes have more than 6,000 individual lenses, furthermore, their range of colors only reaches green, red and yellow.
  • If they do not allow their wings to see the sun they would be unable to fly. They need the heat to do so.

  • Butterfly wings are actually clear. The colors and patterns we see are made by the reflection of the tiny scales covering them.
Fascinating Facts about Butterflies You Did Not Know - Did you know..?

Furthermore...

There are more! Keep reading these final curiosities about butterflies:

  • The process by which a caterpillar magically transforms into a butterfly, aka metamorphosis, is completed in 10 to 15 days, depending on the species.
  • The caterpillars feed on leaves, flowers, stems, fruits and roots but when they become a butterfly they only feed on pollen, spores, fungi and nectar.
  • The sense of smell and touch are in their antennas.
  • They can communicate with ants.
  • The number of eggs laid is around 500 but only a few reach adulthood.
  • They look delicate but can reach speeds of between 8 and 20 kilometers per hour and some species even reach 50 km / h.
  • The wings are formed by membranes covered with scales, allowing them to be thermally regulated.
  • In China and in some tropical countries butterflies are considered an exotic dish.

  • “Puddle clubs” gather at wet soil to suck up salts and minerals.
  • They are very romantic and attract mates using 'love powder' a substance which they secreted themselves.

If you enjoyed learning these facts, you may be interested in:-

The largest insects in the world
10 facts about the platypus

Fascinating Facts about Butterflies You Did Not Know - Furthermore...

If you want to read similar articles to Fascinating Facts about Butterflies You Did Not Know, we recommend you visit our Facts about the animal kingdom category.

Write a comment
Add an image
Click to attach a photo related to your comment
What did you think of this article?
1 of 3
Fascinating Facts about Butterflies You Did Not Know