butterflies (titly)

Known for their brightly or strikingly colored wings, butterflies & moths are flying insects that come from caterpillars. There are as many as 100,000 different types of butterflies & moths throughout the world.Butterflies & moths are found in temperate regions, snowy mountains, deserts, & jungles. In fact, butterflies & moths live on every continent except Antarctica.Like all insects, butterflies & moths have three pairs of legs. Their bodies are divided into three sections: the head, thorax, & abdomen. On either side of the head is a large compound eye. The compound eyes are very efficient for distinguishing movement. They cannot, however, see distant objects clearly. Some butterflies & moths have very sharp hearing & sense of smell. They also have a good sense of taste, especially for sugars.There are two pairs of wings on the thorax, or middle section of the body. The pair in front is usually the larger of the two. The wings, body, & legs are all covered with dustlike scales that come off when h&led.Butterflies & moths vary greatly in size. The smallest moths have wing expanses as small as about 16/100 inch (4 millimeters), while the largest have wingspans of about 1 foot (nearly 30 centimeters).Although butterflies & moths have similar appearances, they are different from each other in many ways. The best way to tell them apart is to examine their antennae, or feelers. Butterfly antennae are slender, & the ends are rounded into little knobs. Moth antennae lack these knobs. Moth feelers may look like tiny feathers, & some are threadlike.Butterflies are usually brightly or strikingly colored. Most moths have a duller color, a stouter body, & smaller wings than butterflies. Butterflies rest with their wings held upright over their backs; moths rest with their wings outspread. Most butterflies fly during the daytime, while moths generally fly at night.Skippers are insects that have some characteristics of both butterflies & moths. Their bodies resemble moths. When at rest, however, they hold their wings upright like butterflies. Skippers are generally small. They get their name because they fly with quick movements from place to place.Butterflies & moths feed on the nectar of flowers & on other plant liquids. Some species eat mosses, ferns, & lichens. Others may feed on cones & fruits & their seeds. Many also feed on dead & decaying plant matter.Some butterflies & moths are famous for the fact that they travel from place to place. Several species in Europe & North America migrate to different regions based on the seasons. In North America the monarch butterfly lives as far north as southern Canada during the summer. In the fall these butterflies travel to California or Mexico, where they spend the winter. They then return to their summer homes in the spring. Unlike birds, they do not make the trip more than once since butterflies do not live longer than a year.Butterflies & moths go through four stages of development: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), & adult (imago). The process of changing from one stage to the next is known as metamorphosis.First, the female lays many eggs. Caterpillars hatch from these tiny larvae. The caterpillar then sheds its skin many times in a process called molting, until it is ready to turn into a pupa. The pupa is a resting stage, where the future butterfly lies encased in a tough, flexible shell. During this stage the organs & other tissues of the caterpillar break down & are replaced by wings, legs, & other parts of the adult.In the final stage, the adult emerges from the pupa. At this point it is wet & its wings are soft & limp. It slowly fans the wings to pump air into the veins. Gradually the wings exp& & harden. In a few hours the adult is ready to fly & seek a mate. Most adults live from four to six weeks. Some live only a few days, while others may live as long as ten months. Butterflies & moths have many enemies. In fact, they are a favorite food of birds. To survive, some species have natural protections. For example, the monarch butterfly has a foul taste & odor & is avoided by birds. The viceroy butterfly looks exactly like the monarch, only smaller. Because birds mistake viceroy butterflies for monarch butterflies, the birds leave the viceroy butterflies alone too.Other species have unusual markings that frighten away birds. In addition, many butterflies & moths at rest look like dead leaves or the twigs & bark of trees. Therefore, they are difficult for birds to spot.