Interesting Facts About Butterflies

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly,
One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."

~Hans Christian Anderson

In North America there are over 700 species of butterflies.

Worldwide there are about 28,000 species of butterflies.

A caterpillar increases its body size thousands of times from hatching out of the egg to pupation.

As caterpillars grow they shed their skin.

Butterflies do not make cocoons.  Butterflies develop from eggs to caterpillars, and during the pupal stage they harden into chrysalis.  After a few weeks the adult butterfly will emerge from its chrysalis.

Butterflies range in size from 1/8 inch to almost 12 inches.
All butterflies have six legs and feet.

Butterflies taste their food through their feet not their proboscis (straw-like structure), which they use to drink nectar and juices.

Butterflies use their antennas to smell.

If their body temperature is less than 86 degrees butterflies cannot fly, so often butterflies absorb heat by basking in the sun.

Butterflies prefer flowers that are pink, yellow, red, or purple and have single petals.

After bees, butterflies are the second largest group of pollinators.

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