Little Known Facts About Butterflies

Posted by Jane | Added on : October 23, 2008 07:22am | Last edited: October 27, 2009 7:10pm | Viewed 3580 times | 0 Comments

All over the world, butterflies are admired for their beauty. Did you know these lesser known facts about these lovely creatures?

1. We find butterflies attractive because of their bright colors. But this coloration is what saves these insects from their predators. These bright colors act as warning signals to anyone who intends to eat these butterflies. Even if a predator eats a butterfly, the poison in the butterfly will cause vomiting and the predator will spit the butterfly out.

2. Butterflies have sense organs on their feet. They have three pairs of jointed legs. Using the sense organs on their feet, they taste the sweet nectar of the flowers.

3. Wings of the butterflies are made of millions of tiny LEDs, Light Emitting Diodes. They are similar to man made LEDs, but much more sophisticated. These LEDs are responsible for the bright coloration of butterflies.

4. Monarch butterflies fly more than 2000 miles, traveling 50 miles per day and at 12 miles per hour speed. That is an achievement considering the size of these creatures.

5. Butterflies are great at flying and maneuvering. The flight control system is located in the center of the brain and is made up of 3000 specialized cells. Scientists still have not figured out how these cells work in order to achieve the amazing flight management.

6. Some species of butterflies use camouflage for protection. The Owl butterfly has large eyespots on its wings. Predators take it for an owl and do not bother eating it. Similarly, Brimstone butterfly is shaped like a leaf. It takes shelter on leaves to escape the eyes of its predators.