Tattoo Butterflies.info

All About Butterflies

Butterflies are one of the most beautiful and delicate of insects, comparable to living flowers.  They are diurnal, which means that they are active during the day.  Since they are out during light hours, their brightly colored wings attract lots of attention.


The designs on their wings form diverse patterns, colored with vibrant hues.  Their wings and oddly graceful flight have made butterfly watching a popular hobby.  They have also become synonymous with transformation and flashy beauty.

Butterflies do not go through a nymph period, which separates them from most other insects.  Instead they go through four stages: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and adult butterfly.  In their adult life spans butterflies can live from a week to almost a year, depending on the specie.  That gives them a much longer life span than other insects.  Many species have long larval stages, while others survive winters by lying dormant in their eggs or chrysalis.  Butterflies give birth more than once a year, but the number of generations varies with the climate region.


Butterfly eggs are attached to a leaf with strong special glue.  Each species of butterfly has its own host plant which it prefers.  Some butterflies are restricted to laying their eggs on one type of plant, while others enjoy a range of plants within the same family.  In most butterflies, the egg stage lasts only a few weeks.  If the egg is laid close to winter, however, the egg goes through a phase similar to hibernation and hatches in the spring. 

The butterfly emerges from its egg as a caterpillar.  Caterpillars spend almost all of their time in search of food.  Most species eat plant leaves, although a few rare species consume other insects.  When the caterpillar is fully grown it begins to look for a suitable pupation site, which is often on the underside of a leaf.  Some garden plants can be used to attract butterflies.   

There it transforms itself into a chrysalis by anchoring to its pupation site and wrapping itself in a cocoon.  The cocoon can not move from its pupation site, but some species can shake rapidly and produce sounds to scare away predators.  The transformation from a caterpillar into a butterfly has long fascinated humans.  It has become a symbol of hope and personal evolution. 

The butterfly emerges fully grown from its chrysalis with wings complete. It needs time to let them dry, however, before it can fly for the first time.  Butterflies have four wings that are covered in tiny scales.   To see butterflies up close, search the butterflywebsite.com for a butterfly exhibit near you.
 
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