All A-Flutter: Unusual Facts About Butterflies
by Karinluise Calasant
Butterflies are captivating to watch. They’ve been called “nature’s flying flowers” and we want to attract them to our gardens. Originally called “flutterbys,” beautiful butterflies can be seen pausing to drink energy-restoring nectar from flashy-hued flowers, or slurping mineral-rich water from mud puddles. Females flit here and there with a purpose - seeking out appropriate host plants on which to lay their eggs. Depending on the species, a female butterfly will lay about 100 eggs in her lifetime. Of these, only about 2% will become healthy butterflies.
A Monarch butterfly drinks nectar from Mexican milkweed. Photo by Karnluise Calasant
How do these insects know which plant is which? Butterflies use their antennae to search the air for scents and they taste with their feet! As incredible as it sounds, a butterfly’s sense of taste is 200 times stronger than a human’s and is coordinated with chemoreceptors that are in tiny hairs on the feet. When a female lands on a plant, she drums the leaves with her feet, making the plant release some of its juices. Then she is able to smell and taste the plant to determine whether it will feed the larvae.
Unlike larvae that are able to chew food, adult butterflies can only drink liquids. The insect has no saliva glands and uses a proboscis which functions as a drinking straw. The insect must assemble this as soon as it emerges from the pupa or chrysalis. The proboscis comes in two separate strands, each called a “galea.” Inside each galea are several components - nerves, muscles and trachea. Zippering or fusing the two parts creates a central canal that is the food canal. It is through this that the butterfly draws liquid food into its digestive system. In addition to sugary nectar, adults need minerals - something that can be obtained from mud or even a decaying carcass.
Passionflower is the larval food for our state butterfly, the Zebra Longwing. Photo by Karnluise Calasant
Butterflies don’t have lungs. They breathe through openings called spiracles. These are found along the abdomen and thorax. Some spiracles allow oxygen to enter, while others exhale carbon dioxide.
Current research suggests that butterflies can see red, green, yellow and a range of ultraviolet colors invisible to the human eye. They can see polarized light, which is a reflection of the sun’s rays. This helps them identify nectar-producing flowers. Butterflies generally suck nectar from flowers that have single petals and are red, purple, yellow or pink. They are also nearsighted and their vision is blurry. But they are extra sensitive to movement, which is why patience is needed when photographing them.
Monarch caterpillars will denude a milkweed plant in less than a day. Photo by Karnluise Calasant
These cold-blooded insects must have a body temperature of at least 85 degrees in order to fly. They cannot fly or feed at temperatures below 55 degrees. Under ideal conditions, butterflies are capable of flying up to 12 miles per hour.
These fragile insects have transparent wings made up of thin layers of hardened protein similar to our fingernails. On top of this are thousands of tiny scales that absorb and deflect light. These help the butterfly soak up the heat required for flight. While touching a butterfly’s wings won’t necessarily kill it, if enough scales are rubbed off, it can negatively affect heat absorption and that could conceivably lead to its demise. Once scales are rubbed off, they won’t regenerate.
Eastern Black Swallowtails prefer herbs to eat, but will rest on a bromeliad. Photo by Karnluise Calasant
Rain drops and wind can also be lethal. Imagine trying to walk while objects the size of bowling balls are being hurled at you! This is pretty much the scenario if a butterfly gets caught in the rain. A good butterfly garden has dense-leaved shrubs in which these insects can take shelter from wind and rain.
Florida has about 100 species of butterflies unique to the state, with others showing up from time to time as strays. These delicate creatures are important indicators of an area’s health. If you don’t see any butterflies, there could be a problem in the surrounding ecosystem. Habitat loss and pesticide use are the biggest contributors to a decrease in butterfly populations.
This whimsical watering can sports an earring that is actually the chrysalis of a Monarch. Photo by Karnluise Calasant
The more we understand these delightful creatures, the better we can assure their survival. Find a comprehensive list of butterfly plants on www.EDIS.ifas.ufl.edu (under “Lawn and Garden: Types of Gardens”).
© 2014 Karinluise Calasant. Originally published in Florida Gardening, Apr / May 2014. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Suggested Reading
Florida Butterfly Gardening, by Marc C. and Maria Minno
Gardening for Florida’s Butterflies, by Pamela F. Traas
Your Florida Guide to Butterfly Gardening, by Jaret C. Daniels