ButTer flies - a beautiful creation of nature

Why do butterflies have colourful wings?

Colourful wings help butterflies to identify each other. Male and female butterflies have different patterns and colours on their wings. Butterflies are able to see colours and patterns.

 Coloured wings help butterflies to hide their selves from birds and enemies. Some butterflies have spots on their wings, which looks like big eyes. The eyes scare enemies away.

Some brightly coloured butterflies, like monarchs taste really bad to birds that feed on them. Birds learn not to eat these butterflies. Other butterflies have simpler tricks. They look like bad tasting butterflies.

Monarchs and viceroys have orange and black colour. Viceroys taste good, but birds avoid them because they are in same colour as monarchs.

What do butterflies eat?

Butterflies suck up flower juice called nectar. Some sucks tree sap and juices from rotting fruit. Males suck up salts from mud puddles or from decaying animals. Some adults do not eat at all.

Many butterflies help plants to reproduce. They pick up and carry pollen grains from flower to flower while they are feeding.

 Strange noses and tongues

Butterflies do not have noses. But they can smell. They use two antennas at the top of their heads to smell. Butterflies can also taste by using little hairs on their feet.