**hello steemian steemians, this time I will discuss some facts about butterflies that maybe not many people know yet, hopefully this article is useful, happy reading ... !!!**
Butterflies are one of the insect animals known for their beautiful patterns and their ability to petrify the pollination process of flower plants.
Of course, butterflies are one of the animals that are also familiar to see. However, do you know other interesting facts about this beautiful insect animal.
- Transparent wings
Despite having colorful and striking wings, the wings of the butterfly were transparent. The wing of the butterfly itself is formed from layers of chitin, which is a protein that forms the exoskeleton of an insect.
Thousands of small scales that surround the chitlin and scales will reflect light in several different colors. The older the age of a butterfly, the transparency of the wings will be more visible.
- Tasting with feet
The taste receptors found on the feet of butterflies can help it find the host plant and track its food. A female butterfly will land on a variety of different plants, wiggling the leaves on the plant using her feet.
The tissue behind the butterfly leg has chemoreceptors that can detect a suitable chemical partner, and if it is suitable to eat the plant will be the place to lay eggs.
- Not able to chew solid food
Adult butterflies only consume liquid food, one of which is nectar. The mouth of the butterfly is modified so that the butterflies can drink nectar, but they cannot afford to chew solid food.
A proboscis or trunk that functions as a drinking straw for butterflies is under the chin of the butterfly until it finds a source of nectar, or other liquid nutrients.
- Proboscis must be combined immediately after leaving Chrysalis (cocoon)
Adult butterflies that have just emerged from the pupa bag or cocoon have mouths that are divided into two parts. By using palpi which is located with the proboscis, the butterfly will begin to combine the two parts of the mouth into one part, namely, the tubular proboscis.
- Drink from mud pellets
Butterflies also need minerals to survive. Butterflies will suck up several times the mudflows that are rich in minerak and salt. The habits of these beautiful insects are often known as puddling.
However, this habit is usually often done by male butterflies because they need more minerals for sperm.
- Can't fly when cold
Butterflies are cold-blooded animals, so they cannot control the temperature of their bodies. Ideally, a butterfly needs an ideal body temperature at 30 degrees Celsius to fly.
- Newly hatched butterflies cannot fly
When inside the cocoon, the developing butterfly will wait to hatch with the wings covering its body. However, when hatching the butterfly wings are still small, withered, and tangled.
Butterflies must immediately pump body fluids to veins found on their wings so that the wings can develop. When the wing has reached its full size, the butterfly must rest for several hours to let its body dry and harden before flying for the first time.
- Only live for two to four weeks
A butterfly only has a few weeks to live. Throughout his lifetime, butterflies only focus all their energy on eating and marriage.
Whereas butterflies that have small shapes can only last a few days. However, monarchs or mourning cloacks usually survive up to nine months.
- Near view
Butterflies only have a visibility of three to four meters so that they will rely on their views for vital tasks, such as finding food or finding a partner for marriage.
Butterflies can also see a wide range of ultraviolet colors, like the human eye.
- Have many tricks to be free from predators
Butterflies are in a very low position in the food chain, so many predators target them.
Some of the tricks performed by butterflies one of them is to disguise themselves with their wings along with nature so that predators find it difficult to find them.
Those are some facts about butterflies that I have summarized, hopefully useful.