It’s #Wildlife Wednesday again, folks, and I’m happy to say that my friend Dennis Burnette is back to visit us with Part 2 of his very informative Butterflies for the Rest of Us post. I know you’ll enjoy learning more about these interesting insects and seeing lots of fabulous photos. And now, without further ado, I’m turning the floor over to Dennis!  Take it away, my friend!

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Thanks, Marcia!

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Butterflies for the Rest of Us Part 2

PLEASE NOTE:
All photographs in this post were taken by and belong to
Dennis Burnette. Thank you for respecting that.

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In Part 1 I explained that I’m active in a butterfly group. We’re similar to a bird-watching group in that we enjoy watching and identifying them but not harming them. As a retired educator, I enjoy presenting programs on butterflies for nature-oriented groups.

As I said in the last installment, I get a lot of questions. Biology isn’t my academic discipline, but in the 25 years or so that I have been watching and studying butterflies, I’ve learned some interesting facts about them.

Probably this is the most common question I hear: What’s the difference between butterflies and moths? I gave some answers to that one last time. Here are some additional questions people ask:

How old can butterflies get?

The process of metamorphosis usually takes several weeks, the exact time depending on the species of butterfly and external factors such as weather. Once metamorphosis is complete, the adult emerges and seeks out mates. Keep in mind that it’s still a butterfly whether it’s an egg, a caterpillar, a chrysalis, or an adult, so the butterflies we see flying are in their fourth stage of life. They’re elderly bugs! Some butterflies live for a few weeks as an adult. Others may live more than a year. Generally speaking, most butterflies tend to live a few months from egg through adulthood. Butterfly species that migrate tend to live longer than those that don’t. Storms, attempted predation, strong winds, and obstacles encountered in flight eventually wear out an old butterfly’s wings.

A very old and battered Common Buckeye butterfly.

Can a butterfly sting or bite you?

Butterflies do not have stingers at any stage of metamorphosis. When a butterfly is a caterpillar, its mouthparts are designed to chew leaves. It doesn’t have teeth, pincers or any other structure that would allow it to bite a person. In the chrysalis stage the cells are rearranged so that the mouth becomes a tube (proboscis) similar to a drinking straw to allow it to drink nectar from flowers. When it isn’t using the tube, it keeps it curled up under its head. There is nothing about the drinking tube that could hurt a person.

Butterflies spend part of their lives as caterpillars, but not all caterpillars are butterfly larvae. In addition to moths, other organisms such as beetles and flies may spend time as caterpillars or caterpillar-like forms. A few of these have stinging hair-like structures on their bodies. It you find a critter that looks like a hairy or fuzzy caterpillar, it’s best not to touch it to avoid getting stung unless you know for sure what it is.

What do butterflies do during cold or rainy weather?

Most butterfly species prefer warm temperatures and sunny skies. When the weather turns cooler than they’re used to, they have trouble making their muscles work. They’ll find a crevice in tree bark or rocks, a brush pile, or other protected place to hide until the temperatures get warmer. Likewise, if it’s raining, even in warm weather, often they will find a place to hide. It isn’t uncommon to find butterflies hanging upside down under a large leaf during and just after rainstorms.

Cabbage White butterfly sheltering under a leaf.

Should I set up a butterfly house to help butterflies in my neighborhood?

People see boxes somewhat like bird nesting boxes for sale in some gift shops and garden centers that are labeled “butterfly house.” Often they’re brightly painted with images of butterflies and flowers. These may look attractive in a garden as garden art. However, they aren’t likely to attract butterflies. They rarely (or never?) are used by butterflies, although theoretically they could use them to get in out of the rain. I’ve never heard of that happening, however.

Butterfly houses aren’t likely to attract butterflies but
could make pretty garden ornaments.

Where do butterflies go in winter?

The flight period for most butterfly species is during some part of the warmer months. The life expectancy for most species of North American butterflies is measured in weeks and months. Most are no longer flying in winter in all but the warmest parts of this continent. That being said, some butterflies migrate. You may already know about Monarch butterflies and their long migration of almost 3,000 miles between central Mexico to southern Canada, and there are other migratory butterfly species, as well. Also, there are a few butterflies that are hardier in cold weather than most so they have a longer flight period, and a few species that stay put but hibernate. If they stay put, a few spend the winter as adults, but most spend the winter hidden from predators as chrysalises.

Sanctuary for migrating Monarch butterflies in Mexico.
(NOTE: For those who may not realize this, every one of those little orange “leaves” in this picture is actually a monarch butterfly. )

Butterflies may be pretty, but what good are they?

We often hear the term “ecosystem.” Butterflies are part of it. If you’ve ever seen a house being built, you already understand the concept of a system of components. Beginning with the foundation, different pieces are connected to form the flooring and “bones” of the house, each piece different in form, function, and materials but becoming interconnected. An ecosystem is made up of the living and nonliving elements of the environment, the living organisms, soil, water, and weather, within a particular geographical area.

Butterflies are pollinators. While they aren’t quite as efficient as honeybees, they are important pollinators for many plant species. For instance, some early native azaleas are pollinated almost exclusively by a species of swallowtail butterfly. Butterflies also are a food source for other organisms such as birds as part of the food chain. Further, for humans concerned about the environment, butterflies are an indicator species. A healthy butterfly population signals a healthy ecosystem.

Black form Eastern Tiger Swallowtail carrying
pollen on its body.

Do you have other questions about butterflies? Feel free to ask them in the comments.

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NOTE: Due to a very busy schedule, Dennis may not always be able
to respond to comments  immediately, but he will do his best to get back
to you within a day. Thanks for your understanding!

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Dennis Burnette
Birding on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas

Dennis Burnette is a retired college professor currently volunteering as a nature educator, focusing on birds, butterflies, and native plants. He does numerous presentations and field trips for nature organizations, master gardeners, garden clubs, church groups, scouts, etc. He is active in and has held elected office in several nature organizations. He has looked for native plants and other wildlife in 11 countries. Recently he received North Carolina’s Order of the Longleaf Pine in recognition of volunteer service to the state.

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Some Additional Interesting  Info About Dennis

*Past president of local Audubon Society chapter and currently on
the local Audubon board.

*Past board member of the statewide NC Native Plant Society.

*Past president of the Piedmont Bird Club.

*Past vice president of Carolina Bird Club.

*Founded the Carolina Butterfly Society in North and South Carolina
about 25 years ago; CBS now has about 200 members
in the Carolinas and surrounding states.

*Former member of the Guilford County Open Space Program Committee.

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Enjoying a cruise on the Cape Fear River
in Wilmington, North Carolina

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Hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit more
about butterflies today. Stay tuned for additional info
on future visits from Dennis, featuring wildlife of all sorts!