Butterflies …

Butterflies are gorgeous creatures.  There are so many shapes and colours and they inhabit each continent with the exception of Antarctica.  In fact it has been estimated that there are over 20,000 different species of butterfly.  At Kawaii Animals HQ we only see a few of these varieties so we’ve raided the internet for some fun butterfly facts:

• Adult butterflies live from between a week and a year depending on the species but the average lifespan is between 2-4 weeks.  The Brimstone butterfly has the longest lifespan of all adult butterflies at around 9-10 months.
• Butterflies range in size from the tiniest at less than 0.5cm to the largest at 30.5cm.
• Butterfly wings are transparent – butterfly wings are made up of very thin layers of chitin (the protein that makes up the insect’s exoskeleton) and these layers are so thin that they are see through.  On top of the chitin are thousands of tiny scales and these scales reflect light in different colours.
• Butterflies can taste with their feet!
• Most butterflies live on an all-liquid diet … mostly nectar from flowers. But they are also known to sip from muddy puddles to supplement their diet with minerals and salts.
• Butterflies can’t fly if they are cold.  Their bodies need to be at least 30° C to be able to feed or fly.  Their wings can act as solar panels for the insect collecting heat from the sun and the veins in their wings then circulate the heat around the body.  The colours of their wings help to absorb or reflect heat and the butterfly angles or folds its wings depending on how much heat it needs to take in.
• When a butterfly first emerges from its chrysalis it cannot fly as its wings have been constrained around its body.  It needs to wait until fluid has started to flow around its wings before it takes flight.

If you love butterflies why not have a look at our range of butterfly items by clicking here.  Or for images of beautiful butterflies from around the world why not take a look at our Pinterest board by clicking here.