Butterfly Anatomy

The Thorax

The thorax is the locus for locomotion. The thorax is divided into three segments; on each segment is a pair of jointed legs. The four wings of the butterfly (or moth) are also attached to the thorax. The thorax contains the muscles that make the legs and wings move.

THE LEGS
Butterflies have six segmented legs. The two front legs of about half the butterfly species are very short. The front pair of legs are frequently used to clean the antennae. Each foot ends in a pair of grasping claws. The feet are also studded with sense organs and are used to taste food.

THE WINGS
The wings are attached to the second and third thoracic segments (the meso- and meta-thorax). During flight, the wings are held together because a lobe on the hindwing presses against the forewing. 

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ALL ABOUT BUTTERFLIES! Butterfly Glossary

ALL ABOUT BUTTERFLIES!

Butterfly Calendar

What is a Butterfly?

Life Cycle

Butterfly Anatomy

Information Sheets

Glossary

Printables and Activities

Butterfly Glossary

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ABDOMEN The abdomen is the segmented tail area of an insect (including butterflies and moths). An insect's abdomen contains its heart, Malpighian tubules, reproductive organs, and most of the digestive system (foregut, hindgut and rectum). It is protected by an exoskeleton. The abdomen of butterflies and moths have eleven segments (the terminal 2 or 3 segments are fused together).	ABDOMINAL PROLEGS Abdominal prolegs are the peg-like legs on the abdomen (hind region) of a caterpillar. These legs have crochets (small hooks) on them. These legs disappear in the adult butterfly.	AEROPYLE Aeropyles are microscopic holes that dot the surface of the egg. Aeropyles let oxygen into the egg.
AMERICAN COPPER BUTTERFLY The American Copper Butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas) is an orange-red butterfly with a gray underside. The wing span is 7/8 to 1 3/8 inches (2.2 - 3.5 cm). The host plants are sheep sorrel and curled dock. The caterpillar is slug-like. Adults drink nectar from many flowers including the buttercup, butterflyweed, clover, yarrow, and ox-eye daisy. It lives in Europe and North America (from Nova Scotia to the southern USA). Classification: Family Lycaenidae, Genus Lycaena, Species phlaeas,	AMERICAN SNOUT BUTTERFLY The American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) is a butterfly that has long labial palps (mustache-like scaly mouthparts on either side of the proboscis) that look like a long snout. The butterfly has a 1 3/8 - 2 inch (3.5 - 5 cm) wingspan. The front pair of legs on the male (but not the female) are reduced in size. Eggs are laid in groups on the hackberry plant. The caterpillar eats hackberry (celtis); the adult sips nectar from the flowers of asters, dogbane, dogwood, goldenrod, sweet pepperbush, and more. Adult American Snout butterflies look like dead leaves. They sometimes go on long migrations. They are brush-footed butterflies (Family Nymphalidae).	ANAL PROLEGS Anal prolegs are a pair of stumpy legs at the very end of a caterpillar's abdomen (hind region). These legs have crochets (small grasping hooks) on them.
ANDROCONIA Androconia (also called scent scales) are modified wing scales on butterflies and moths that release pheronomes. Only males have these scent scales. The pheromones attract females of that species.	ANGIOSPERM Angiosperms are flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruit. They are the dominant type of plant today; there are over 250,000 species. Their flowers are used in reproduction. Angiosperms evolved 125 million years ago and became the dominant plants about 100 million years ago. Angiosperms are divided into monocots (like corn) and dicots (like beans).	ANTENNAE Antennae (singular antenna) are sensory appendages attached to the head of some adult insects. Antennae are used for the sense of smell and balance. Butterflies have two segmented antennae with a small club at the end of each. Moths have antennae without the club. Larvae (caterpillars) have tiny sensory antennae.
ANTHOPHYTA Anthophyta are flowering plants, the largest group of plants (which includes the grasses). The flowers are used in reproduction. They evolved during the Cretaceous period. Butterflies and moths are important pollinators of these plants.	APICAL Apical means towards or at the apex (the uppermost point or top).	APOSEMATIC COLORATION Aposematic coloration (or warning coloration) is the bright, attention-getting coloration that protects an organism from experienced predators (i.e., predators who have previously eaten a similar-looking animal and have gotten sick from it). Both poisonous organisms (like the Monarch butterfly) and its mimics (poisonous or not) are said to have aposematic coloration.
ARMY An army is the term for a group of caterpillars.	ARTHROPODS Arthropods are a group of animals with exoskeletons made of chitin, segmented bodies and jointed limbs. Insects, arachnids, trilobites, crustaceans, and others are arthropods.	AUTOTROPH An autotroph (or producer) is an organism that makes its own food from light energy or chemical energy. Most green plants, many protists (one-celled organisms like slime molds) and most bacteria are autotrophs. Autotrophs are the base of the food chain.

Zoom Butterfly Butterfly Glossary

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Information Sheets About Butterflies (and Moths)

Information Sheets About Butterflies (and Moths)

Just click on an animal's name to go to that information sheet. If the butterfly (or moth) you're interested in isn't here, check the Butterfly Dictionary.

AMERICAN SNOUT BUTTERFLY The American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) is a butterfly that has long labial palps (mustache-like scaly mouthparts on either side of the proboscis) that look like a long snout. The butterfly has a 1 3/8 - 2 inch (3.5 - 5 cm) wingspan. The front pair of legs on the male (but not the female) are reduced in size. Eggs are laid in groups on the hackberry plant. The caterpillar eats hackberry (celtis); the adult sips nectar of the flowers from asters, dogbane, dogwood, goldenrod, sweet pepperbush, and more. Adult American Snout butterflies look like dead leaves. They sometimes go on long migrations. They are brush-footed butterflies (Family Libytheidae).	BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY The Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho menelaus) is a species of neotropical butterfly that has iridescent blue wings (the females are are not as brilliantly colored as the males and have a brown edge with white spots surrounding the iridescent blue area). The undersides (visible when the butterfly is resting) are brown with bronze-colored eyespots. Adults drink the juices of rotting fruit. The caterpillar of the Blue Morpho is red-brown with bright patches of lime-green on the back, and it eats the plant Erythroxylum pilchrum nocturnally (at night). Blue Morphos live in rainforests from Brazil to Venezuela. Blue Morphos belong to the Family Nymphalidae, Genus Morpho, and species menelaus.	California Dogface Butterfly: Printable Read-and-Answer WorksheetA printable worksheet on the California Dogface butterfly, with a short text to read, pictures to label, a life cycle diagram to label, and questions to answer. Or go to the answers.
GARDEN TIGER MOTH The Garden Tiger (Arctia caja), also known as the Great Tiger Moth, is a common moth that is has a 1.8-2.8 inch (4.5-7 cm) wingspan. Its caterpillar, the black woolly bear, has long black hairs on top and rust-colored hairs on the underside. It is found in Europe and Asia in temperate regions, and less frequently in the Canada and Northern USA. Family Arctiidae.	GOLIATH BIRDWING BUTTERFLY The Goliath Birdwing (Ornithoptera goliath) is the second-largest butterfly in the world. This brightly-colored butterfly is poisonous and has a wingspan up to 11 inches (28 cm) wide. It has black, yellow and green wings and a yellow and black body. This butterfly in found in tropical forests in Indonesia. Family Papilionidae.	JULIA The Julia is a yellow-orange tropical butterfly with long forewings. It is about 3-4 inches wide. The female Julia is a duller shade of orange and has more dark markings. The small, yellow-to-gold eggs are oval and the pupa is angular. The Julia caterpillar feeds on passion flower vine (Passiflora); the adult sips nectar from the flowers of the lantana and shepherd's needle. Julias are found from South and Central America to the southern USA. The Julia belongs to the Heliconians, tropical butterflies that have a large head and have a bad taste and smell. It is a brush-footed butterfly (Family Nymphalidae).
KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY The Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is a small, blue butterfly that has a wingspan of about 1 inch (2.5 cm). This endangered species lives in oak savannas and pine barrens and is associated with wild lupine (Lupinus perennis, a plant that the caterpillar eats). Adults drink the nectar of horsemint, butterflyweed, and bachelors button. The adult male (pictured above) and female have a very different appearance. The upper sides of the male's wings are silver to dark blue with white and black margins. The upper sides of the female's wings are gray-brown to blue, with some bands of orange crescents along the bottom of the hind wing, and white and black margins. The underside of the wings of both sexes are grayish in colorwith orange crescents and some metallic spots along the bottom of both hind wings. The green caterpillar is tended by ants; these ants collect a sugary liquid that is secreted by the caterpillar, and the ants protect the caterpillar from some predators and parasites.	MILBERT'S TORTOISESHELL Milbert's tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti) is a small butterfly with a squared-off fore-wing. The wingspan is 1.6 - 2.5 inches (4.2 - 6.3 cm). It lives in North America from southern Alaska down to Mexico. Huge batches of eggs (up to 900) are laid on nettles. The caterpillar eats nettles; the adult feeds on flowers (thistles, goldenrods, and lilacs), sap and rotting fruit.	MONARCH BUTTERFLY The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a common poisonous butterfly found worldwide. It eats milkweed in its larval stage and lays eggs on the poisonous milkweed plant. Monarchs have a wingspan of 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm).
MOURNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY (Nymphalis antiopa, Linnaeus 1758) The mourning cloak (also known as Camberwell beauty) is a butterfly with unusual forewing outlines. The dark maroon wings have pale, speckled edges and a dark inner margin with blue spots. Eggs are laid in large clusters on elm, poplar, and willow trees. The caterpillar is black with white spots and has maroon patches on the back. This larva eats the leaves of poplar, elm, salix, and betula. Adults sip fermenting fruit juices, oak sap, and flower nectar. The mourning cloak is found in riparian forests in Europe, North America, and temperate areas in Asia.	PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY Vanessa cardui is a widespread butterfly in temperate and some tropical areas. It also known as the thistle butterfly and the cosmopolitan. The Painted Lady has a 2 - 2 7/8 inches (5.1 - 7.3 cm) wingspan. Adults sip thistle nectar and some hibernate. The life cycle begins with tiny, pale green eggs. The yellow-striped, brown-green spiny caterpillar builds a silky, webbed nest, usually in thistle. Family: Nymphalidae	PEACOCK BUTTERFLY The peacock butterfly (Inachis io) is a common butterfly from temperate parts of Europe (including Britain) and Asia. This butterfly makes a hissing sound when it is alarmed (usually upon seeing a bird); it makes the sound by rubbing its wings together. The wings are brownish-purple with a bright eyespot on each wing (the wings look a bit like an owl's face). The undersides of the wings are mottled grayish-brown. The larval host plant is the stinging nettle; the caterpillar is black with spines. Classification: Family Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies), genus Inachis, species I. io.
POSTMAN BUTTERFLY Heliconius melpomene is a poisonous butterfly from neotropical habitats in Central America to Brazil. This butterfly has long antenna, and wings that are brown with orange spots. They have a wingspan of 2.5 to 3.25 inches (6 to 8 cm). The caterpillars eat passion vines (Passiflora). Family: Nymphalidae, genus Heliconius, species H. melpomene.	QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S BIRDWING Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the biggest butterfly in the world, with a wingspan up to 1 ft (30 cm) wide. The female is larger than the male and is brown with cream spots; the male is brown with blue and green markings and has a bright yellow abdomen. The caterpillar is black with red tentacles and has a cream-colored spot in the middle of its body. This rare butterfly is found in the lowland forests of northern Papua New Guinea (east of the Owen Stanley Mountains).	RED ADMIRAL The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a common migratory butterfly found in marshy north temperate regions of Asia, Europe and North America. It is a fast flier. Its caterpillar lives only on nettles. Classification: Family Nymphalidae.

SATURN BUTTERFLY The Saturn Butterfly (Zeuxidia amethystus) has a wingspan of about 3.9-4.3 inches (10-11 cm) and lives in the shady forest understory. The female is paler than the male (above). The Saturn Butterfly is found in Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines, Burma, and Sumatra. It was named by Butler in 1865. Classification: Family Nymphalidae (Subfamily Morphinae).	SOUTHERN DOGFACE The southern dogface butterfly, Colias cesonia, is a yellow butterfly that is also known as the dog's head butterfly. The wings are mostly yellow; there is a small dark circle in the center of the forewing and the margins of the wings are black) they look a bit like a dog's face). Males have brighter coloration than females. The wingspan is 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 inches (58-65 cm). The caterpillar is green with black and yellow stripes. This butterfly lives in open woods in the southern half of the USA. The larval host plant is the false indigo bush, Amorpha fruticosa (a legume). Classification: family Pieridae, genus Colias (Zerene), species C. cesonia.	SUMMER AZURE BUTTERFLY The Summer Azure Butterfly (Celestrina neglecta) is a small, lilac-blue butterfly with a paler underside. It has a wingspan of 3/4 to 1 1/8 inch (2- 2.75 cm). It lives in open areas and grassy fields, and it sips clover nectar. It is found in most of eastern North America. The Summer Azure is the palest of the Azure butterflies. It was named by Edwards in 1862. Classification: Family Lycaenidae.
TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY The tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucas) is a strong flier with distinctive yellow and black striped markings on its wings and body (some females are brown or black, mimicking the poisonous pipevine swallowtail). This butterfly has a wingspan of 3.5-6.5 inches (9-16.5 cm) and is found throughout the USA and Canada. The caterpillar is plump and green with yellow eyespots; it looks like bird droppings when young. Larvae eat leaves from the tulip tree, sweet bay, wild black cherry, ash, lilac, aspen, birch, and choke cherry.	ULYSSES BUTTERFLY Papilio ulysses, also known as the Ulysses butterfly, the Blue Mountain Swallowtail, the Blue Emperor, and the Mountain Blue, is a spectacular Australian butterfly. The male is an iridescent blue-green with a dark background. The female is more subdued in color. They have a wingspan of about 5.5 inches (14 cm). Both have a long "swallowtail." Males are attracted to most blue objects (mistaking them for females). There are 16 known subspecies.	VICEROY The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a brown and orange non-poisonous butterfly that is very similar to the Monarch; it is a Batesian mimic of the poisonous Monarch. It can be distinguished from the Monarch by the black line that crosses its wings. Also, the undersides of its wings are quite similar to the topside (unlike the Monarch, whose underside is much lighter). It has a wingspan of 2.75 to 3 inches (7 to 7.5 cm). The Viceroy is found from Canada to Mexico. The caterpillar is olive green and brown with bristly tufts behind the head; it eats mostly willow and cottonwood. Classification: Family Nymphalidae.
ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY The Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) is a butterfly with distinctive black and white markings and elongated tails on its hindwings. The caterpillar is yellow-green with black and yellow stripes. Larvae eat pawpaw. The Zebra Swallowtail has a wingspan of about 2-2.75 inches (5-7 cm). The Zebra Swallowtail lives for about 6 months in its adult stage. It is found in the eastern part of North America from Canada to Florida, USA. Family Papilionidae.

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Butterfly Anatomy

Butterfly Anatomy Butterfly Anatomy Printout

Butterflies are flying insects with two pairs of scaly wings and two segmented, clubbed antennae. Like all insects, they have a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), 3 pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a segmented exoskeleton. 

Butterfly Physiology: 

FUNCTION	STRUCTURE IN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS
Body structure and protection	An exoskeleton made of chitin, a type of protein
Respiration (breathing) and Circulation of oxygen	Spiracles (9 pairs in butterflies) are pores open to the air and tracheae (air tubes) carry air through the body. Gas exchange occurs at the tiny ends of the tracheae. A very inefficient system which limits the size of butterflies. Spiracles are located on the abdomen and thorax.
Circulation of oxygen	Tracheae
Circulation of blood (for nourishment, not oxygen)	A long, tubular heart (dorsal vessel) and hemocoel
Digestive System	Proboscis, pharynx, foregut (the crop), midgut, hindgut, and anus
Storage of food energy	Fat body
Excretion of wastes	Malpighian tubules, long filaments which clean the blood and put the waste (urine) into the hindgut (rectum)
Nervous system	Brain, ventral nerve cord, ganglia, peripheral nervous system (PNS) and visceral nerves.
Sense of balance (especially while flying)	Johnston's organ (located at the base of the antennae).
Reproduction	Ovaries (female) and testes (male)

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The LIFE-CYCLE OF A BUTTERFLY

The LIFE-CYCLE OF A BUTTERFLY

Butterflies and moths undergo complete metamorphosis in which they go through four different life stages. Egg - A butterfly starts its life as an egg. Larva - The larva (caterpillar) hatches from an egg and eats leaves or flowers almost constantly. The caterpillar molts (loses its old skin) many times as it grows. Pupa - It turns into a pupa (chrysalis); this is a resting stage. Adult - A beautiful, flying adult emerges. There is no growth during this stage. This adult will continue the cycle and reproduce.

Butterfly Life Cycle Printouts and Activities

Butterfly Life Cycle Printout Print your own copy of a butterfly's lifecycle from egg to larva to pupa to adult.

Butterfly Life Cycle: Label Me PrintoutTrace the development of the butterfly from egg to larva to pupa to adult. Answers

Butterfly Anatomy and Life Cycle: Cloze Activity Fill in the blanks (using a word bank) about butterflies. Answers

BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE MOBILE   A butterfly life cycle mobile made from construction paper and a paper plate.

Caterpillar Definition - Multiple Choice Comprehension QuizAnswer 8 multiple-choice questions on the definition of caterpillar; a lesson in using a dictionary. Go to the answers.

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Painted Lady Butterfly

The Painted Lady may be the most widespread butterfly in the world. It also known as the thistle butterfly and the cosmopolitan (because it is so widespread, occurring in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa). This flying insect lives in temperate and some tropical areas.

Egg: The Painted Lady begins its life cycle as an egg that is the size of a pin head. Eggs are pale green with 12 to 14 longitudinal ridges; they are laid on thistle, mallow, or hollyhock leaves. The incubation period is 3 to 5 days.

Caterpillar (larva): The caterpillar eats continually for 5 to 10 days before it pupates. The purple to black caterpillar has long spines on each segment; there are yellow-green stripes and large white dots. The caterpillar is up to 1.25 inches (3 cm) long. It builds a silky, webbed nest as it feeds, usually eating thistle, mallow, malva, hollyhock, sunflower, or canola. As the larva grows, it sheds its skin (this is called molting). The time between sheddings is called an instar; each instar has slightly different coloring.

Chrysalis (pupa): When the caterpillar has grown to the right size, it pupates. It hangs upside-down from a leaf or branch, and attaches itself with a single silken string. An adult forms from the caterpillar, whose internal structure changes completely. The chrysalis becomes almost transparent when the butterfly is about to emerge. An adult will emerge about 7 to 10 days after the chrysalis has formed.

Adult: When an adult emerges from the split chrysalis, it hangs upside down and pumps blood into its four wings, inflating them.Then it waits for its delicate wings to dry. It can fly a few hours after emerging.

The adult Painted Lady is mostly black, brown, and orange with some white spots; the underside is gray with white and red markings. The adult has a 2 - 2 7/8 inch (5.1 - 7.3 cm) wingspan. Adults sip sweet thistle and clover nectar. Adults can mate in about a week after emerging; adults only live about 2 weeks.

Migration: Adults from colder parts of North America overwinter in Mexico; adults from northern Europe migrate to North Africa and southern Europe.

Classification: Order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Family Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies), Genus Vanessa, Species V. cardui. 

Painted Lady Printouts and Activities:

Painted Lady Butterfly (Simple version) A simple printout on this widespread and common butterfly.

Painted Lady Butterfly A printout on this widespread and common butterfly.

Painted Lady Butterfly Life Cycle A printout on the life cycle of this common butterfly.

ButterflyLife Cycle Sequencing Cards Cut out the four cards and arrange them so they show the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly from egg to adult as it undergoes complete metamorphosis.

Painted Lady Butterfly Life Cycle Book A Printable Activity BookA short, printable activity book on the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly for fluent readers (with tabs).

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