North Carolina Butterflies

Introducing the Butterflies

What Are Butterflies?

Butterflies are colorful insects that have four wings covered in tiny, powdery scales. Their wings are large, broad, and look something like sails. Butterflies fly extremely well; some species, such as the Monarch Butterfly, migrate many thousands of miles.

They go through a special process called metamorphosis, which means their bodies change and grow through four distinct life stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult butterfly.

Butterflies start as eggs laid on plants. Most butterfly species prefer only certain types of plants for their eggs, which are called “host plants”. Butterfly eggs vary in size, shape, and color, depending on the species.

Butterfly eggs hatch into caterpillars, which are the baby butterflies and the larval form of these insects. Caterpillars are long, soft-bodied, cylindrical creatures with three pairs of short, legs and chewing mouth parts. Butterfly caterpillars vary drastically in appearance, depending on the species. Some butterfly caterpillars are smooth-skinned and inconspicuous, while others are large, colorful, and covered with spines.

Caterpillars are eating machines. They chomp through their host plants’ leaves and grow bigger and heavier over time. After they reach a certain size and level of development, the caterpillars pupate by sealing themselves inside a tough case called a “chrysalis”. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillars bodies transform completely in a process called “complete metamorphosis”.

During metamorphosis, the caterpillars’ body tissues first break down, then reorganize into the new body parts and structures of adult butterflies. They grow wings, antennae, three pairs of long, jointed legs, and compound eyes. When the transformation completes, the newly formed adult butterflies break out of their chrysalises, dry their wings, and fly off.

Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar, fruit, dung, and/or tree sap. Unlike caterpillars, which chew leaves, butterflies siphon liquid through a structure called a “proboscis”. Each proboscis consists of two long, thin tubes connected along their lengths and act as straws. When feeding, butterflies poke their probosces into flowers until they reach nectar, then siphon their food up these long tubes. When not feeding, they hold their probosces coiled up in a tight curl.

Butterflies help plants grow by spreading pollen, which is a way for plants to reproduce. They are also beautiful to look at and can be found in gardens, forests, and fields. There are thousands of different species of butterflies, each with its own colors and patterns.

With the exception of some species of butterfly caterpillars that cause a lot of damage to human crops, butterflies are entirely harmless insects, which makes their beauty all the more pleasant. They also feed many other animals in nature, especially birds.