& Kids’ Korner

The beautiful colors and patterns we see on a butter y’s wings come from tiny scales that cover their wings. These scales are made of a special material called chitin.

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Awesome Animals

Butterflies did you know?

• Butterflies eat a liquid diet. Butterflies have a long, tube-like tongue called a proboscis which they uncurl and use like a straw to suck up nectar and fruit juices.

• No bathroom cleanup needed. Many adult butterflies never excrete waste – they use up all they eat for energy.

• Rest assured, butterflies are not nosy! In fact, they don’t have noses. Instead, they taste and smell food using their legs and feet.

• A short and sweet life. The average lifespan of an adult butterfly is roughly three to four weeks.

• A butterfly’s favorite season is... summer. Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees.

• All ready for Halloween! Butterflies have their skeletons – called the exoskeleton – on the outside of their bodies. This protects them and keeps water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out.

• Butterflies don’t lack variety. There are about 17,500 species of butterflies in the world!