Brimstone Butterfly
Main Characteristics of Butterflies
- There are 160,000 species of butterflies.
- The country with the highest number of butterfly species is Colombia. Approximately 3,900 species can be found here.
- In Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador, there are a vast number of butterfly species: approximately 3,600 to 3,900.
- In Germany, there are approximately 3,700 species.
- In the United States, there are 750 species.
- Butterflies have six legs, two forewings and two hindwings (which makes a total of four), two antennae, and a proboscis.
- Butterflies primarily feed on leaves, flowers, nectar, and fruits.
- There are also butterflies that are toxic – for instance, the burnet moths. They fend off enemies with cyanide and should not be touched.
- Moths are also butterflies. They differ in their way of life and appearance.
- While butterflies are active during the day, moths are active at night. Most of them are brown in color. Some even have a fluffy fur.
- Some moths are considered pests because they consume supplies as well as clothing made from wool, furs, and hides.
- Food moths are also butterflies. They belong to the family of snout moths.
- Butterflies spend the majority of their lives in the larval stage. The woolly bear caterpillar can live as a larva for up to 7 years.
- As adult creatures, butterflies live for only a few weeks to a few months.
- Butterflies start their life as a caterpillar that hatches from an egg. They molt several times and eventually pupate. The adult butterfly emerges from the cocoon. This process is called metamorphosis.
- The largest butterfly is the White Witch. It has a wingspan of 12 inches (30 cm).
- The smallest butterfly is a species called Western Pygmy Blue. Its wingspan measures just 0.47 inches (12 mm).
- The butterfly that has the longest lifespan (as an adult) is the brimstone butterfly: 12 months.
