the largest butterfly

The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) found in the rain forests of New Guinea is the largest of all the butterflies. It has a wingspan of up to 1 foot (30 cm), and the smallest of all the butterflyiesin the world is the Western Pigmy Blue (Brephidium exilis) which measures only 3/8 – 3/4 inch (10- 19 mm). It is found East Oregon, South Western United States, east to Nebraska, parts of Mexico and South America.

the smallest butterfly

Several kinds of butterfly are the state insects of several states in the USA.

The list is as follows:

Monarch butterfly – Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, West Virginia, Vermont, Texas and Minnesota; Diana Fritillary butterfly – Arkansas;

California dogface butterfly – California; Colorado hairstreak butterfly – Colorado; Viceroy butterfly – Kentucky;

Baltimore checkerspot butterfly – Maryland; Mourning clock butterfly – Montana; Sandia hairstreak butterfly – New Mexico;

Black swallowtail butterfly – Oklahoma; Tiger swallowtail butterfly – Virginia

Butterfly wings are very colourful because they are covered with very small scales (like the covering we see on the bony fish) which reflect sun light and give out different shiny colours.

Some species (kinds) have hearing organs and some species (kinds) make clicking sounds to communicate with others.

Females of some kinds do not have wings; they crawl to move from place to place, like worms!

Some kinds of butterfly (e.g. moon moth) never eat in adult stage; the energy they store as caterpillars is enough for them.

Butterflies are known to taste their food with their feet — they can just stand on their food to know how it tastes because their taste organs/sensors are located on their feet!

It is one of the very few living organisms that have a total transformation (complete DNA change) from caterpillars to adults.

Some species (kinds) fly long distances – migration (going from one place to another as the seasons change); the ‘monarch butterfly’ is the champion, making a 4 – 5 000 Km trip!

Strangely enough, some people have a kind of unexplained fear (phobia), called “Lepidopterophobia“, of these beautiful and harmless creatures!!