Butterflies
Background Information & Activities

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Butterflies vary widely in size, shape, and color, and are a great subject for study as many children have observed them in their own communities. Butterflies can be found practically everywhere on the planet, from woodland forests to the Arctic. Studying butterfly life cycles is a great way for children to understand how living things grow and change and to learn about different animal adaptations.

Review with your children that a butterfly is an insect. Brainstorm different insects together. How are they like butterflies? How are they different? Like all insects, butterflies have three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of legs, and a pair of antennae. Many insects use their antennae to "feel" their surroundings, but butterflies use them to smell. Butterflies have two wings, which often have bright colors and/or patterns. The wings are covered in tiny, dry scales. They also have a special part called a proboscis (pronounced pro-BOSS-iss). Butterflies use the proboscis to suck up nectar from flowers. Your children can imagine it like a long straw that can curl up. In some species, the proboscis can be longer than the entire body of the butterfly. We recommend looking at different pictures of butterflies from resources in the library or researching on the Internet for a variety of images.

Butterflies have numerous adaptations to stay safe. Some butterflies use camouflage. Some species look exactly like dead leaves, and others have clear or translucent wings to help them hide in their environments. Many butterflies have noticeably bright colors and patterns. Many butterfly species are toxic and their brilliant markings serve as clear warnings to predators. Some butterflies even mimic the markings of other toxic butterflies in order to stay safe. For example, the red-spotted purple butterfly looks just like the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. They have very similar markings and colorings, but the pipevine swallowtail is poisonous for predators, while the red-spotted purple butterfly is not. Some butterflies are dark on one side of the wings and bright on the other side. When they flutter their wings, the contrast in colors can startle predators away.

Many children have seen a caterpillar. Explain that caterpillars can grow and change to become butterflies or moths. An adult butterfly lays several eggs, and soon a larva hatches from the egg. A larva is the young form of an animal that changes through metamorphosis. The larva of a butterfly is a caterpillar. The caterpillar eats and grows bigger and bigger, shedding its skin as it grows. The caterpillar soon slows its eating and enters the pupa, or chrysalis, stage of its life cycle. It begins to undergo metamorphosis, or big changes, to become an adult. It grows wings and develops into an adult butterfly. A fully developed, adult butterfly emerges from the pupa case and is able to mate and have young. Then the life cycle begins again.

It is a common misconception that the butterfly larva spins a cocoon. Moth larvae spin cocoons, but butterfly larvae turn into a pupa or chrysalis. This is the main difference between moths and butterflies. There are other subtle differences as well. Many species of moths are nocturnal or have less colorful markings on their wings. However, there are many species of butterflies that are nocturnal or are considered less colorful. Both butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera and share many characteristics.

Encourage your children to observe butterflies in their communities and look for caterpillars or even eggs. Help them explore the world around them and understand the startling diversity of life that can be found right in their own backyards.

Butterflies Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Butterflies Family Activities – Click Here!

Butterflies Teacher Activities

© 1999-2010 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Life Cycle Study

Animals grow and change in very different ways. Have students pick an animal or draw one out of a hat. Encourage students to select from a wide range of animals, including mammals, fish, insects, birds, marsupials, monotremes. Have students conduct research at the library or online to find out how their animal grows, changes, and reproduces and then prepare a report or poster. Encourage them to be creative, using photographs, drawing pictures, or even finding video clips on the Internet and sharing them with the whole class.

Biography

As a literacy connection, have your students write a profile or biography of an important person. This person can be a community helper, a family member, or a historical leader. Students should write about the person's life, from birth through childhood to adulthood, and describe any major changes in the person’s life. A biography can tell about the life cycle of a person!

Butterfly Community

Learn about butterflies in your school's community. You can use reference guidebooks to learn about what butterflies are in your community. Create a checklist and have students try to find them all! You may wish to take a walk with your students to look for different butterfly species. Encourage your students to take notes, take photos, or draw pictures of butterflies that they see. You may want to create a local butterfly field guide with all the information students gather.

Butterflies Family Activities

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Butterfly Garden

If possible, plant a butterfly garden together. You can plant flowers that attract the caterpillars, moths, and butterflies that are native to your area. Together with your child, conduct research to learn about what flowering plants attract butterflies and what butterflies need to survive. Learn about what plants you can easily grow to bring in butterflies to your garden. You may want to consult your local gardening store. This is a great opportunity to teach the life cycle of both plants and animals and foster a green thumb too!

Moths

Many species of moths are nocturnal. At night, turn on a light outdoors and observe moths together. Your child may observe how the moths are attracted to light or their flight patterns. Encourage him or her to look at the moths closely–they may look similar, but there are probably different species right in front of their eyes. Your child can draw pictures and take notes and learn more about the species in a reference guidebook.