The Butterfly

This week we are investigating the life cycle of a Butterfly.
We have researched some fun and interesting facts about them. 

• Butterflies are insects.
  
  
• A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.
  
  
• Butterflies attach their eggs to leaves with a special glue.
  
  
• Most caterpillars are plant eaters (herbivores).
  
  
• Fully grown caterpillars attach themselves to a suitable twig or leaf before shedding their outside layer of skin to reveal a hard skin underneath known as a chrysalis.
  
  
• An adult butterfly will eventually emerge from the chrysalis where it will wait a few hours for its wings to fill with blood and dry, before flying for the first time.
  
  
• Butterflies can live in the adult stage from anywhere between a week and a year, depending on the species.
  
  
• Butterflies have four wings.
  
  
• Butterflies often have brightly coloured wings with unique patterns made up of tiny scales.
  
  
• Most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers.
  
  
• Butterflies taste receptors are on their feet.
  
  
• Scientists estimate that there are between 15000 and 20000 different species of butterfly.
  
  
• Birdwing butterflies have large, angular wings and fly in a similar way to birds.
  
  
• Monarch butterflies are known for their long migration. Every year monarch butterflies will travel a great distance (sometimes over 4000 km), females will lay eggs and a new generation of monarchs will travel back, completing the cycle

• Look up this information yourself
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/butterfly.html
  
• Check out the San Diago Zoo:
• http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/insects/butterfly