The Butterfly
Butterflies , just like honey bees , help pollinate flowers . Even though butterflies have longer legs and less pollen gets on their body , they are still effective pollinators . In fact , butterflies can travel farther distances than the honey bees , which means they can pollinate a greater area .
Butterflies pollinate during the day when flowers are open . Some pollen gets on the butterfly ' s legs and some on their bodies . As they go to another flower of the same species , that pollen gets transferred onto that flower .
Did You Know ? Butterflies have better color perception than the honey bee and humans . They are able to see the color red , which the honey bee cannot . They also are able to see ultraviolet light which helps them see the nectar guides that are located on the flowers . Butterflies have good sight up to 10-12 feet and after that their vision becomes blurry .
At Home Activity - Chromatography Butterflies
Materials :
• Coffee filter
• Food dye or water colored markers
• Spray bottle
• Small clothes pin or pipe cleaner
• Drop cloth or newspaper to place under work station
Step 1 : Squeeze a few drops of food dye onto the coffee filter ( or use markers to make circles of solid color ). Keep them spaced out in order to let water bleed the colors .
Step 2 : Spray the water using the water bottle evenly over the filter and colors . Let dry .
Step 3 : Scrunch the coffee filter down the middle and secure with a clothes pin to form the two wings of the butterfly . A pipe cleaner may be used in place of clothes pin ; the ends of the pipe cleaner can be used to form antenna .
Inside a Chrysalis
The pupa stage of a moth is called a cocoon , while for the butterfly it is called a chrysalis . This is when the caterpillar stops eating and begins its transformation into a butterfly .
Taste with Their Feet
Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet . They land on food such as fermenting fruit and these organs sense the dissolving fruit .
Transparent Wings
Butterflies have lots of colors . This is because their wings have tiny scales that reflect light . Underneath these scales the wings are made out of an exoskeleton called chitin , which is transparent .
Drinking Nectar
The butterfly has a proboscis , which slurps up nectar from flowers . As the butterfly drinks , some pollen gets stuck on its hairs and transfers pollen from one flower to another .
6 - Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom Source : West Greeley Conservation District / 4-H Pollinator Habitat Program