Here are the fun facts about butterflies that you should know
Fun Facts About Butterflies – These colorful winged insects belong to the Lepidoptera family with moths and though they are mostly known for their beautiful appearances, you should know that there are more than what meets the eye.
They are cold-blooded insects and in order for them to fly, they need an internal temperature of about 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29.4 degrees Celsius, based on the video from Smithsonian Magazine.
If conditions are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they do some tricks to make their body warmer. One is, they would bask under the sun to try to heat themselves. Another way is that they will shiver by vigorously shaking their wings.
Speaking about their wings, butterflies’ wings are covered in tiny scales. When sunlight hits these scales, the virbrant hues are created as seen by humans. Another fact about colors of these insects is that they have specialized light-sensing cells in their eyes. Because of this, they can see colors that humans can’t, including ultraviolet light.
When it comes to size, the Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is considered the largest butterfly because it’s wingspan can reach up to 12 inches. For the title of smallest butterfly, this goes to Western Pygmy Blue. It’s wingspan is just 3/4 of an inch.
When it comes to the fastest butterfly, this title belongs to the group called skippers. They can fly as fast as how horses run and this is up to 37 mph.
Their skeletons are outside their bodies and it is called exoskeletons. This hard outer covering helps protect them from predators. Aside from this, the exoskeletons also provide them structural support and prevent water loss.
Before metamorphosis, the stage when they are known as catterpillars, they protect themselves by ingesting toxins from plants, so that predators will stay away from them. These toxins does not affect them but it can impair their predators like birds.
Most butterflies have receptors on their feet which help them read chemical signals in the environment. Through these, they can also locate the best place where to lay their eggs or find sources of food.
Antartica is the only place where you can’t find a single butterfly. You can watch the video here. Talking about fun facts, there are also amazing facts about Bryde’s Whale.