Donnie Nichols
County Reporter
Now is a perfect time to get kids outside and introduce them to nature. Butterflies, moths, and caterpillars are out in great numbers and are the perfect way to spike children’s curiosity about our environment and nature. For example, our grandkids spend lots of enjoyable time outside collecting caterpillars and using their butterfly nets to stalk and capture a variety of butterflies and moths.
There are over 180,000 species of butterflies, moths and skippers worldwide, found on all continents except Antarctica. They belong to the order Lepidoptera, from the Greek lepis “scale” and petron “wing”. Butterfly wings, which are transparent, are made up of chitin, the same protein as exoskeletons of crustaceans, which make them related to crabs and lobsters. These wings are covered with tiny overlapping scales that resemble shingles on a roof.
These scales, of which there are about 125,000 per inch, reflect light that results in a myriad of colors. As butterflies age or are injured, scales may fall off leaving transparent spots.
Butterflies, moths and skippers range in all colors and sizes, with the tiny blue pigmy having a wing span of less than 1/2 inch to New Guinea Alexandrias which have wings spanning over twelve inches. Weighing only as much as two rose petals, they are capable of flying thousands of miles at speeds up to five miles per hour.
A butterfly’s life cycle is one of complete metamorphosis. Four distinct stages: ovum (egg), larva (worm or caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult. The larva is the only stage in which growth occurs. Ovum, pupa, and adults do not grow. Little butterflies do not grow into big butterflies. Female butterflies land on different plants drumming her feet to cause a plant to release juices. She uses the taste receptors in her feet to locate that spot on which she lays her eggs in late spring. Eggs hatch into caterpillars in 3-6 days. As caterpillars, they spend almost all their time eating and grow rapidly. If a human ate proportionately as much as a caterpillar, a six pound baby would weigh over eight tons in two weeks. The caterpillar stage lasts 3-4 weeks. They then pupate (form a chrysalis) and 9-14 days later emerge as adults. Some species of adults lack mouth parts and cannot eat. Their goal is to mate, lay eggs and continue the cycle. Female butterflies and moths emit a chemical odor (pheromones) that can be detected by males from over a mile away.
Some of the species that over winter, the Monarch and Morning Cloaks for example, live as long as nine months. Some butterflies are plant specific. Their life cycle is tied to just one plant.
Adult butterflies, with the exception of the Harvester butterfly, which is carnivorous, can only feed on liquids, primarily flower nectar, a few tree saps and juices of decaying fruit, animal carcasses and excrement. Male butterflies occasionally sip from mud puddles that are rich in minerals and salts, which are incorporated in their sperm. These nutrients are then transferred to the females during mating and help improve the viability of her eggs.
Butterflies and moths, especially in the caterpillar stage, are enormously important to terrestrial food webs. Ninety-six percent of all bird species depend on insects to feed their young.
Many species of Lepidoptera are in serious decline due to habitat loss and private and commercial use of insecticides and pesticides.
Buy or make a butterfly net, get a couple of reference books, take your children or grandkids outside and introduce them to nature. Help instill in them the wonders and importance of our natural environments. It will depend on this generation of children to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy our native flora and fauna.
“The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.” -George Carlin
