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Like all insects the butterflies body has three main parts :-
head, thorax and abdomen.
Head– The head holds the eyes and the antennae and the nectar sipping tongue called the proboscis. The proboscis is like a drinking straw which is as thick as a human hair. It is rolled up under the butterflies head when not in use. The proboscis is hinged to enable the butterfly to drink from flower clusters individually without moving.
Thorax– The thorax is divided into three segments each with a pair of legs attached. The rear two also have the butterflies wings attached.
Abdomen– the abdomen has no legs attached but males have a pair if claspers right at the tip to hold the female when mating. Females have an extendable egg laying tube, or ovipositor which in some species is long and flexible so as to insert eggs into crevices in bark or into flowers. The reproductive system and much of the digestive system is contained within the abdomen.
Wings– the two pairs of wings are attached to the thorax. The fore wings are usually a little larger and more angled than the hind wings. The wings are supported by a network of veins and covered with a network of scales. These scales contain pigment which give the butterfly its pattern. These scales are loosely attached so are lost easily. Older butterflies can often look very tatty with transparent areas on their wings. They need a good coating of scales to enable them to fly properly and to absorb the sun's rays to warm up their body before flight.
Legs– The three pairs of legs are all attached to the thorax and are used for clinging onto plants.The feet are called tarsi, they contain sensory organs capable of tasting a range of chemicals. With these tarsi butterfly test plants out for suitability as food or breeding sites.
Eyes– Butterflies have a pair of compound eyes, so called because they are made up of hundreds or thousands of tiny lenses. They see a complex mosaic of pictures which enables them to avoid predators and appreciate their immediate surroundings.
Antennae- The antennae are sensory organs and are used to detect scents and to pick up a variety of tactile signals. They are capable of picking up minute dilutions of certain scents, far beyond the reach of the human nose. Females also use their antennae to detect the correct plant on which to lay their eggs.
Suggested follow up activities-
| Butterfly bodies Feely feet Twitching antennae Make a model butterfly |
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