This document provides information about butterflies, including their physical characteristics, eating habits, life cycles, habitats, and common species. It describes how butterflies have scales that give them color, a tubular tongue for drinking nectar, and antennae for smelling. The four stages of a butterfly's life cycle are the egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult stages. Butterflies can live in various habitats around the world, including forests, deserts, prairies, and tropical rainforests. The document also includes pictures, videos, and external resources for learning more about butterflies.

2. Different Kinds of Butterflies How They Live Where They Live Birth of the Butterfly Some Common Butterflies Life Cycles Parts of the Butterfly Fast Facts Pictures and Videos Author’s Page Concept Map Resources What is a Butterfly??? Quit

3. What is a Butterfly??? Butterflies are flying insects with large scaly wings. They have 6 jointed legs, 3 body parts, 2 antennae, compound eyes, and an exoskeleton. The butterfly’s body is covered by tiny sensory hairs. It has FOUR wings. Quit

4. Different Kinds of Butterflies Quit

5. Butterflies don’t eat- they ONLY DRINK! They drink from flowers, rotten fruit, and even sweat or animal waste….YUCK! This is a major change from when they were baby caterpillars, because they ate a lot ! Eating Habits Quit

6. Butterflies close their wings when it’s not sunny out. They hide their colors and blend in with everything around them. Some butterflies such as the owl butterflies have large eye spots that can make them look scary to frighten predators away. The Monarch caterpillar feeds on milkweed so that the adult butterfly will be poisonous to birds. Some butterflies are even camouflaged to look like leaves! Self-Protection Quit

7. Parts of the Butterfly Butterflies have scales, just like a fish! These are what give them color! Here’s a picture of some enlarged scales. Butterflies have a long tubular tongue. They smell with their antennae and taste with their feet! To the right you can see the antenna and the proboscis (tongue). Quit

8. Birth of the Butterfly Read this poem to learn how the birth of the butterfly happens! The Cocoon I found a cocoon That a caterpillar made, Fastened to a leaf Hanging in the shade. He barely had room To wiggle or wag, Like me zipped up In my sleeping bag. I looked each time That I passed his way, But he never budged Until just today. Something happened! He wagged and wiggled And then climbed out And carefully jiggled Small wet wings That grew as they dried . He'd turned to a butterfly Inside! Click Here to Watch a Video of a Birth! Quit

9. Click on the screen above to watch the birth! (For a longer, more detailed video, see Video/Picture Page) Quit

10. Painted Lady Butterfly Vanessa cardui Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus Tiger Longwing Heliconius hecale Great Mormon Swallowtail Papilio memnon Owl Butterfly Caligo spp. Common Wood Nymph Cercyonis pegala Julia Longwing Dryas julia Click on the name to go to a website to learn more! Quit Buckeye Butterfly Junonia coenia

11. Life Cycles There are four stages in a butterfly’s life cycle. Egg Caterpillar (Larva) Pupa Adult After butterflies mate, they lay their eggs, usually on a plant that can feed the caterpillars when they hatch. Caterpillars eat and eat until they are too big for their skin. Then they shed it for new skin. They do this 4-6 times as they grow up. Caterpillars transform into butterflies in the pupa stage. The pupa is called a chrysalis. Adult butterflies do best when they are warm, so some migrate to warmer places during the cold winter months. Quit

12. Where They Live Butterflies are found in many different places! The kinds would change from one place to the next. Some live in Alpine and Arctic areas such as the Phoebus Parnassian at the right. They can also live in Prairies and Savannas where it can be very wet to rather dry. The Regal Fritillary butterfly (right) lives in an area like this. They can live in Forests or Woodlands as well. These areas have lots of shade and California Sisters like to live here. They can even live in the Desert! It’s very dry here, but the Blue Coppers still like it. Butterflies can also live in Tropical Rainforests where it is warmer or Tropical Mountain Forests where it is cooler and higher altitudes. Quit

13. Quit A butterfly lives approximately one month.

14. Click above to watch this video! Quit

15. I’m from Hudsonville, MI. I am 19 years old and I love being in the warm weather. I am majoring in Language Arts, getting a minor in elementary ed. to get my teaching certificate so that I can teach grades anywhere from kindergarten to 3 grade. I love children and I can’t wait to get to the teaching position and then start my own family! You can contact me at [email_address] . Quit

16. Resources http://www.fieldmuseum.org/butterfly/habit.htm http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems26.html http://www.metacafe.com http://www.naba.org/qanda.html http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterflies/allabout/ http://www.cirrusimage.com/butterfly_photos.htm Quit

17. Quit Butterflies A. Main Page 1. What is a Butterfly??? a. Basic Facts 2. Different Kinds of Butterflies 3. How They Live a. Eating Habits b. Self-Protection 4. Parts of the Butterfly 5. Birth of the Butterfly a. Video of Butterfly Birth 6. Some Common Butterflies a. Links to Websites 7. Life Cycles 8. Where They Live 9. Fast Facts 10. Photo/ Video Page a. Photos b. Video 11. Authors Page 12. Resources 13. Concept Map/ Outline