science, animal behaviors

1. QUESTION MARK
BUTTERFLY
(POLYGONIA INTERROGATIONIS)
BY KRISCHANA LEWIS

2. SIZE, COLORATION
• WINGSPAN: 5.7 CM TO
7.6 CM
• TOP SIDE IS REDDISH
ORANGE WITH BLACK
DOTS AND BLACK
HIND WING ( SUMMER
FORM) AND ORANGE
(WINTER FORM).
• THE UNDERSIDE IS
LIGHT BROWN, LOOKS
LIKE A DEAD LEAF.
• PHOTO BY TOM MURRAY
• PHOTO BY FRANK MODEL
• PHOTO BY FRANK MODEL

3. HABITAT TYPE
• LIVES IN WOODED AREAS WITH SOME OPEN SPACE.
• FOUND IN SOUTHERN CANADA, THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
AND THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.
(WISCONSINBUTTERFLIES.ORG)

4. COMMUNICATION
• BUTTERFLIES
COMMUNICATE WITH EACH
OTHER THROUGH COLOR,
CHEMICAL SIGNALS,
SOUND, AND PHYSICAL
ACTIONS.
• PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN WORMINGTON

5. DIET AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR
• LARVAL FOOD PLANTS
INCLUDE ELMS, NETTLES,
HACKBERRIES AND HOPS.
• ADULT BUTTERFLIES TEND
TO EAT ROTTING FRUIT,
DUNG, AND CARRION.
• THIS BUTTERFLY DOES NOT
FEED ON MILKWEED OR
FLOWERS UNLESS IT CAN
NOT FIND OTHER FOOD.
• PHOTO BY MARILYN SCHMIDLING

6. TYPES OF MOVEMENTS
• THE WINTER FORM FLIES IN
THE SPRING UNTIL THE OF
MAY.
• THE SUMMER FORM FLIES
FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER.
• MIGRATES FROM THE
NORTH TO THE SOUTH
WHEN THE WHETHER
BECOMES TO COLD.
•
• PHOTO BY JEFFREY GLASSBERG
• PHOTO FROM:
(NABA.ORG)

7. ENEMIES AND DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOR
NATURAL ENEMIES
• SIX TYPES OF TACHINID FLY
PARASITOIDS
• FIVE TYPES OF
HYMENOPTEROUS
PARASITOIDS
(HTTP://MOBUGS.BLOGSPOT.COM/)
CATERPILLAR AND
BUTTERFLY DEFENSE
• CATERPILLARS USE POISION,
CAMOUFLAGE, EYESPOTS, HIDING
AND BAD SMELL TO PROTECT.
• BUTTERFLIES USE CAMOUFLAGE,
POISON, MIMICRY AND FLYING TO
DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST
PREDATORS.
(BYBIO.WORDPRESS.COM)

8. SOCIAL OR SOLITARY BEHAVIOR
• BUTTERFLIES ARE MOSTLY
SOLITARY CREATURES.
• OCCASIONALLY TWO
BUTTERFLIES CAN BE SEEN
TOGETHER.
• A GROUP OF BUTTERFLIES IS
KNOWN AS A FLUTTER.
• SMALL GROUPS GATHER
AROUND SAP FLOWS.
• QUESTION MARK AND NORTHERN PEARLY EYE
• TIGER SWALLOWTAIL AND PIPEVINE
SWALLOWTAIL
• PHOTOS FROM:
EASTTENNESSEEWILDFLOWERS.COM

9. REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR
• QUESTION MARKS LAY TWO
BROODS OF EGGS, ONE IN
THE SUMMER AND ONE IN
THE WINTER.
• THE SUMMER BROOD
DEVELOPS INTO THE WINTER
FORM.
• THE WINTER BROOD
DEVELOPS INTO THE
SUMMER FORM.
• (OBSESSIONWITHBUTTERFLIES.COM)
• VIDEO OF TWO QUESTION MARK
BUTTERLIES MATING:
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH
?V=1L7OKN-UZ3W

10. LIFE CYCLE
• QUESTION MARKS GO
THROUGH A PROCESS
KNOWN AS
METAMORPHOSIS.
• WHICH INCLUDES FOUR
STAGES: EMBRYO (EGGS),
LARVA (CATERPILLAR), PUPA
(CHRYSALIS) & IMAGO
(BUTTERFLY).
(PHOTO FROM: LIGHTBULBBOOKS.COM)

11. RESEARCH
• RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED
ON HOW COLOR AFFECTS
THE FEEDING HABITS OF
BUTTERFLIES.
• RED, YELLOW AND BLACK
LANDING PADS WERE
COVERED WITH HONEY.
• MOST PREFERRED THE RED
LANDING PAD.
• BUTTERFLIES THAT FEED ON
FRUIT PREFERRED
FERMENTED BANANAS.
• PHOTO BY KRIS H. LIGHT
• ANDREW WILLIAMS