Every butterfly starts life as a caterpillar, and its transformation inside a chrysalis is one of nature’s best-known examples of complete metamorphosis. Adult butterflies taste with their feet and sip nectar through a long, coiled tongue called a proboscis. Some species, like the monarch, migrate thousands of miles each year across North America.
Follow each stage in our butterfly life cycle guide and read up on monarch butterfly facts and conservation. Gardeners will find plenty of help too, from choosing host plants for caterpillars to planning and building a butterfly garden. There are also guides to raising butterflies at home, identifying types, and free butterfly clip art.
When they are active, Monarchs like plenty of space. When they are about to hibernate, they opt for safety in numbers. Clusters of twenty or thirty butterflies weigh down the thin tips of tree branches and become a positive tourist attraction. Monarch butterfly Quick Facts Common name Monarch butterfly Scientific name Danaus plexippus Kingdom Animalia…
Habitat loss endangers Monarch Butterflies For centuries, rather than being crowded out by other animals, Monarchs have been able to work around and coexist with every other living thing in North America. They avoid direct competition with each other or with other species. What do Monarch Butterflies eat? Primarily milkweed is a weed that is…
Although the story we know of the Monarch Butterfly life cycle has been known for a relatively short time, Monarch Butterflies have acquired many layers of meaning for North Americans. Like butterflies, they can symbolize living in the moment, lightheartedness, and even frivolity. As insects that undergo a complete metamorphosis, they also suggest symbolism of…
One of the many wonderful things to see in North America is the flight of the Monarch Butterflies. Every year, following the seasons, these orange-black-and-white butterflies travel almost the entire length of the continent. In early spring and early autumn, thousands flap from the southern States to the oyamel fir groves of Mexico, converging in…
The Educational Experience of Raising Butterflies: Children like to keep pets. They learn responsibility from keeping pets. They can learn a lot about insects by raising a butterfly. Raising butterflies is truly an educational experience that every child will want to do over and over again. You can take the kids on a hike to…
There are almost 24,000 species of butterflies in the world. One of the prettiest types of butterflies is the Blue Morpho butterflies. Not only is this beautiful butterfly one of the most sought after by collectors, but also just looking at its metallic-like wings is mesmerizing. While it appears that the Blue Morpho butterfly’s wings are metallic blue, they aren’t the…
FREE Butterfly Clip Art images for you to use on your webpage, in emails, anywhere you need some butterflies! How to Install Clip Art: Explore next Ladybug Clip ArtAnimated BeesMonarch ButterflyButterfly Coloring Pages & DrawingsWhat Eats Butterflies? Place your mouse over the image. Click on the right mouse button. A menu window will pop up….
Caterpillar pictures The transformation of the frequently ugly or bizarre caterpillar into an elegant butterfly is truly one of the regularly performed miracles of nature. For an even closer view, you can buy butterfly kits to raise Painted Lady Butterflies from caterpillars to adults, right in your home. Common caterpillars and what they eat Anise Swallowtail Caterpillar…
Did you know there are 24,000 different kinds of butterflies worldwide? Butterflies range in size from a tiny 1/8 inch to a huge almost 12 inches. The transformation of the frequently ugly or bizarre caterpillar into an elegant butterfly is truly one of the regularly performed miracles of nature. For an even closer view, you can…
Butterfly Bush is a favorite food source of butterflies and has an attractive summer scent. The butterfly bush comes in many colors and can be a great addition to your backyard! Butterfly bush Quick Facts Common name Butterfly bush Scientific name Buddleja davidii Kingdom Plantae Phylum Tracheophyta Class Magnoliopsida Order Lamiales Family Scrophulariaceae Genus Buddleja…
The following list of butterflies are found in New York. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in New York the butterfly is found in. Each link also provides more information about the butterfly’s identification and life history. This will help you decide which Butterfly Nectar Plants and Butterfly Host Plants you…
The following list of butterflies are found in Arizona. Clicking on the text link will show you a picture of the butterfly and which specific counties in Arizona the butterfly is found in. Each link also provides more information about the butterfly’s identification and life history. This will help you decide which Butterfly Nectar Plants and Butterfly Host Plants you will want…