Queen Alexandra’s birdwing videos, photos and facts - Ornithoptera alexandrae | ARKive Top Queen Alexandra’s birdwing biology A monophagous species, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing feeds only from the vine species Aristolochia schlechteri. This vine also plays a central role in reproduction, as the butterfly lays a single egg on the underside of one of the leaves. After some 11 to 13 days the caterpillar hatches and eats almost constantly, rapidly increasing in size (5) . The vine contains a toxic substance which, although not poisonous to the caterpillar, makes the caterpillar distasteful to potential predators. This trait is advertised by the caterpillar’s bright, conspicuous colouration, but if consumed by a naive predator, the toxin may cause severe vomiting (6) . The caterpillar’s rapid growth is accompanied by six moults, in which the caterpillar grows new skin and sheds the former, before forming a chrysalis , in which metamorphosis takes place over a period of some 40 to 45 days. Once emerged, the adult butterfly remains dependant upon the same vine, feeding from its flowers with an elongated proboscis (5) .

Top Queen Alexandra’s birdwing range Endemic to northern Papua New Guinea, east of the Owen Stanley Mountains, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing has an extremely small range (6) . Top Queen Alexandra’s birdwing status Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix I of CITES (3) . Top Queen Alexandra’s birdwing threats As one of the world’s most beautiful butterflies, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is extremely attractive to collectors. Fetching thousands of dollars per butterfly, this rare species has suffered severely from over harvesting (4) . Recognising a dramatic decline, in 1966 the Papua New Guinea government gave Queen Alexandra’s birdwing legal protection from collectors. Consequently, trade in this butterfly has been somewhat reduced, but illegal collection continues to threaten this species. Today however, the greatest threat to Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is the loss of its lowland rainforest habitat. Historically, forests were cleared for subsistence farming and logging, and large tracts of forest were destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951.

Presently, the main cause behind forest loss is the expansion of the palm oil industry, compounded by the development of rubber and cocoa plantations (7) . Top Queen Alexandra’s birdwing conservation Threatened by illegal trade and habitat loss, the survival of Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is dependant upon the successful implementation of conservation measures. To abate trade pressure, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and as an Annex A species in the EU Council Regulation on trade of wild species, both of which prohibit international trade (2) (3) . Furthermore, the Papua New Guinea government has provided financial aid to local communities to develop butterfly nurseries. These licensed farms aim to sustainably trade wild butterflies, whilst providing local communities with an additional income and improving the long-term survival prospects of many rare butterfly species (8) . In addition, a large wildlife management area has been created, protecting much Queen Alexandra’s birdwing habitat. Assuming these measures continue successfully, there is significant hope that the beautiful Queen Alexandra’s birdwing will continue to grace the forests of Papua New Guinea (7) .

For more information on Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, see: The American Museum of Natural History: What's the Biggest Butterfly? What's the Biggest Butterfly? November 4, 2010 01:12pm ET MORE Queen Alexandra Birdwings are the largest butterflies. Males grow to 6.7 to 7.4 inches (17 to 19 cm). Credit: Wtolenaars | Dreamstime The Queen Alexandra Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest living butterfly, with a wingspan that stretches almost a foot across. One the rarest butterflies in the world, it's found only in the rain forests of New Guinea. The females, which have a chocolate brown body and wings, boast a wingspan of 11 to 12 inches (28 to 31 centimeters) The males are smaller they grow to only 6.7 to 7.4 inches (17 to 19 cm) but they're much more colorful: they sport a bright yellow abdomen topped with electric green and aquamarine wings . Queen Alexandra Birdwings take about four months to morph from an egg to an adult butterfly.

After that, these monster butterflies usually live for another three months, which is actually quite long, considering that most butterflies live for only a month. During its lifetime, a female Queen Alexandra Birdwings lays only 27 eggs. That low egg output, along with the volcanic eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951, which destroyed large areas of the insect's habitat, has contributed to its current classification by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as an endangered species , During their caterpillar phase, Queen Alexandra Birdwings feast on the leaves of a poisonous plant species called Pipevine. As a result, they become toxic to predators when they emerge from their cocoons as butterflies , according to the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History. After its discovery in 1907, the species was named after Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII. Got a question? Email it to Life's Little Mysteries and we'll try to answer it. Because of the high volume of questions we receive each day, we unfortunately can't reply individually, but we will publish answers to the most intriguing questions, so check back soon.

Editor's Recommendations Birdwing butterfly | Animal Crossing Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Mariposa alas pájaro "I caught a birdwing butterfly! Wow! It's about the size of a bird!" —New Leaf The birdwing butterfly (アレクサンドラアゲハ,, Arekusandora-ageha ? ), is the rarest butterfly in the Animal Crossing series . It can be found during the Summer .. The birdwing butterfly appears around flowers in Wild World but in City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf it can appear anywhere on the map. In Animal Forest e+ this bug appears on the Island , but only on the top of Oak Trees , which must be brought in as saplings and planted. Birdwing butterflies are reasonably fast, but less so than the Agrias butterfly . In Animal Forest e+ they appear around the canopy of trees, well out of net range, and only descend when disturbed by running or throwing the net nearby. Contents [ show ] Donating to the museum As with all bugs in the Animal Crossing series , the birdwing butterfly can be donated to the Museum followed by a short monologue by Blathers , the curator. In Animal Forest e+ AFe+ museum.

A Birdwing is visible on the coconut tree trunk. On donation it flies at the bottom left of the museum around the Coconut Palm where the crabs reside. In Wild World Blathers will say: "Though I know this is a type of tiger butterfly, its size is simply monstrous! Are you trying to terrify me with this behemoth? No, you wouldn't do that. Rather shabby of me to suggest you would... Please accept my apologies!" It can be found on or flying around the row of flowers on the right of the first room, with the other butterflies. In City Folk Blathers will say: "Hoo my, what a butterfly... I now see why it's touted as the world's largest butterfly, eh wot? I'd heard the wings of this particular butterfly can extend over a foot...but up close, they look bigger still! If one of these flew into me while I was out flying... I'd likely pass out in horror and plummet on the spot!" In Animal Crossing: New Leaf When observing it in the Museum: "The world's largest butterflies, birdwing butterflies, have wings that can measure 30 cm long.

The females have longer wings than the males, while the males' wings have a deeper blue color. Though they are extremely popular with collectors, international trading is either limited or fully banned." It can be found on it's information sign in the top-left room. Capture quotes Butterfly Q&A :: Florida Museum of Natural History Megalodon Q: What is a Butterfly? A: A butterfly is a type of insect. Insects are distinguished from all other animals by having an external skeleton (a hard outer covering), three main body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen) and three pairs of jointed legs (all attached to the thorax). Butterflies belong to the order of insects called Lepidoptera, which means "scaled wings." Q: How many species of Lepidoptera are there? A: There are approximately 265,000 species of butterflies and moths. Only about 20,000 are butterflies. Q: What are the differences between a butterfly and a moth? A: Butterflies and moths are quite similar, but basic differences include: Most butterflies fly during the day. Most moths fly at night.

Butterflies are often more colorful than moths - they attract mates with color (visible in daytime) and sleep at night. Night-flying moths attract mates by smell, while their colors camouflage them in daytime resting places. Most butterflies have club-shaped antennae. Moth antennae are feather-like or taper to a point. Male moth antennae can be more elaborate than female antennae. The increased surface area allows males to pick up scents (female pheromones) of potential mates from a longer distance. Male butterflies rely less on scent and more on vision in the search for mates. Moths have a thicker coating of scales than butterflies, giving them a furry appearance Why? Moths fly at night and do not have the sun to warm their bodies for flight, as do butterflies. Instead, moths generate heat internally by vibrating their muscles and their heavy scales insulate them against heat loss. Q: How long does a butterfly live? A: In the wild, most butterflies live about 7 to 10 days, if not eaten first. In captivity, butterflies can survive for 2 to 3 weeks.

Some species of butterflies modify their nectar diet to include rotten fruit, pollen and animal excrement, and can live as long as 3 to 6 months, or even longer. The modified diet provides the butterflies with valuable amino acids that can help prolong life spans. Q: What are the stages of a butterfly's life cycle? A: There are four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly: the egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa or chrysalis and the adult. Briefly, a butterfly starts as an egg. After about 4 to 5 days (some species take up to 3 weeks or longer), the egg hatches and a tiny larva (caterpillar) emerges. The larva starts to eat and will shed its skin 4 to 6 times as it gets bigger and bigger. After about 2 to 4 weeks, the larva will be full-grown and transforms itself into a pupa/chrysalis. Inside the pupa, the caterpillar's body breaks down into a kind of soup and is reorganized into the adult structures of the butterfly! This stage can take between 10 to 15 days. Finally, the adult butterfly emerges from the pupa.

Adult butterflies will mate, the female will lay eggs and the life cycle starts over. The whole process is called metamorphosis, which means "change of form." Q: What is the difference between a pupa, chrysalis and a cocoon? A: Pupa and chrysalis have the same meaning: the transformation stage between the larva and the adult. While pupa can refer to this naked stage in either a butterfly or moth, chrysalis is strictly used for the butterfly pupa. A cocoon is the silk casing that a moth caterpillar spins around it before it turns into a pupa. When the larval stage of some butterfly species is fully grown, it spins a button of silk and attaches the hind-most prolegs to it and hangs upside down in the "J" position in order to pupate (some actually sit in an upright position). This is the larva's final molt as it transforms to a chrysalis. Many butterfly pupae are cryptic and blend into their surroundings. Q: What is the largest butterfly in the world? A: Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the largest butterfly in the world, with a wingspan up to 1 foot (30 cm).

This tropical butterfly is from the Rainforest in northern Papua New Guinea. The larvae eat the pipevine, a vine which contains poison; this makes the butterfly toxic to predators, which will get sick if they eat it. They quickly learn to leave these huge butterflies alone. Q: What is the largest moth in the world? A: The Atlas Moth is found throughout the jungles of Southeast Asia, and particularly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The Atlas Moth adult has a wingspan of 1 foot (30 cm). This moth is so large that it is often mistaken for a small bird when it is flying! The Atlas Moth's cocoon looks like a piece of fruit hanging from a tree. The Atlas does all its eating as a larva; the adult moth has no mouth and cannot eat. Q: What is the smallest butterfly in the world? A: This is often said to be the Pigmy Blue from the USA that is about 0.62 of an inch (1.5 cm) across the wings. Q: What is the smallest moth in the world? A: The Nepticulid moth, which is 0.1 inch long. Q: Are butterflies important? A: Yes!

They are important pollinators of flowering plants, much like bees. All life stages of a butterfly may serve as food for a wide range of other organisms including birds, lizards, spiders, small mammals and other insects. Butterflies also are very sensitive to changes in the environment and thus are good indicators in assessing how healthy or unhealthy conditions are. As a result, they are widely used by ecologists to help evaluate the impacts of habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. Q: Where do butterflies go at night? A: At night or during bad weather, butterflies will usually seek shelter by hanging from the undersides of leaves, or crawl into crevices in the bark of trees, between rocks, or other objects, and sleep. Q: What do butterflies eat? A: Most adult butterflies sip nectar from flowers through their proboscis that acts like a straw. Some species vary their nectar diet to include rotting fruit, pollen, animal excrement and carrion. Q: What do caterpillars eat? A: Almost all butterfly larvaes eat plant material. Most eat leaves, but some eat seeds, stems, roots, fruits, seed pods or flowers.

Larvae of the Harvester butterfly are carnivorous and feed on aphids. Some lycaenid caterpillars also eat ant larvae. Q: Do butterflies hibernate or aestivate? A: Yes. Some butterflies hibernate as adults, eggs, immature larvae or pupae in order to survive climate extremes, such as cold in the winter, or heat and drought in the summer. Butterflies can undergo a rest period called diapause, during which the vital functions are kept at the very minimum. No growth or development occurs in the egg, larva or pupae, and the adult butterfly just hangs motionless in a suitable place, waiting for better conditions to arrive. Sorbitol and glycerol exist in the blood of some butterflies and function as natural anti-freeze agents. Q: How many butterflies are in the Butterfly Rainforest? A: At any time, approximately 60 to 80 species can be seen in the Butterfly Rainforest. The continuous population will be several hundred to over one thousand. Approximately 900 adult butterflies are added weekly. Q: Where do we get our butterflies?

A: The majority of the butterflies in the Rainforest are bred in butterfly farms throughout the world, primarily Malaysia, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Suriname, El Salvador, Ecuador, Australia, New Guinea, Madagascar, Africa and Florida. They are shipped to us in the pupal stage and emerge as adult butterflies in our rearing lab. We periodically rear some species of butterflies, primarily for larval display, but not with the intent to increase the adult population in the Rainforest. The rearing lab allows our guests a closer look at the life cycle of the butterfly, from egg to larva to pupa to adult. Visitors will have the chance to see voracious caterpillars feeding on their host plants along with a variety of pupae before they emerge as adults, some doing so daily! Q: Will the butterflies reproduce in the Rainforest? A: No. Mating does occur, but the females will not lay eggs because there are no larval host plants in the Rainforest. This means that only adult butterflies are on display in the exhibit. The Rainforst is considered to be a USDA quarantine facility with access by the general public and therefore host plants are not permitted. This eliminates any possible unauthorized butterfly breeding.

Q: Is the Butterfly Rainforest modeled after habitats found in Florida? A: No. The goal is to reproduce an environment that is NOT characteristic of the United States. This sample rainforest not only includes plants from tropical areas, but also exhibits butterflies from around the world. Q: What types of plants do we have in the Butterfly Rainforest? A: There are a variety of general landscape and nectar producing plants that provide the butterflies with a suitable habitat/environment and available adult food. The "anchor" species in the Rainforest are labeled and many of the other showy species are listed on the plant/butterfly identification cards available at the entrance to the Rainforest. Butterflies | Basic Facts About Butterflies | Defenders of Wildlife Butterflies Basic Facts About Butterflies Butterflies (Order: Lepidoptera) are brightly colored flying insects with two pairs of large wings that vary in color and pattern from species to species. Butterfly wings are covered with overlapping rows of tiny scales, a characteristic butterflies share with their fellow lepidopterans, the moths. Diet A caterpillar’s first meal is its own eggshell. It then spends most of its time eating the leaves of the plant on which it hatched.

An adult butterfly uncoils its long, straw-like proboscis to sip nectar from flowers, juice from rotting fruit and water from puddles. Population Exact numbers are not known since there are about 17,500 species of butterflies spread throughout almost the entire world. Range Butterflies are found worldwide except on the continent of Antarctica. Many species migrate to avoid adverse conditions. Most migrate relatively short distances, but monarchs and several other species migrate thousands of miles. Behavior Life cycle: From egg to adult, butterflies undergo a series of physical transformations known as metamorphosis. After mating, the female butterfly lays her eggs on a caterpillar food or “host” plant. The eggs can hatch within a few days, or within months or even years, depending on whether or not conditions are right. After hatching, a caterpillar begins to eat the host plant. The caterpillar sheds its skin several times during this stage. It then seeks a sheltered spot, suspends itself by silken threads and sheds one last time to reveal skin that will harden to form the chrysalis or pupa.

Days, months or even years later, depending on the species, a fully developed winged adult emerges from the chrysalis and the cycle begins anew. Defense Mechanisms: Many butterflies have developed interesting ways of defending themselves from predators. One method is disguise, or “cryptic coloration”, where the butterfly has the ability to look like a leaf or blend into the bark of a tree to hide from predators. Another method is chemical defense, where the butterfly has evolved to have toxic chemicals in its body. These species of butterfly are often brightly colored, and predators have learned over time to associate their bright color with the bad taste of the chemicals. Threats The greatest threats to butterflies are habitat change and loss due to residential, commercial and agricultural development. Climate change is also threatening species of butterfly. The Edith’s checkerspot butterfly, which ranges from Baja to Canada along the West Coast, has been moving northward and upslope. But for two subspecies – the Bay and Quino— their progress is blocked by the vast urban landcapes of San Francisco and San Diego, respectively. Both subspecies are now critically imperiled.

Buzz Killers: 10 Of The World's Biggest, Baddest Bugs - WebEcoist (images via: Fotoarchiv and Discovering Fossils ) Meganeura had a 2.5-ft (0.75 meter) wide wingspan and scientists speculate it ate other flying and crawling insects; even some of the smaller early amphibians that were just beginning to colonize dry land. Arthropleura, on the other hand (or maybe, the other foot) stretched up to 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) long and may have eaten both plants and small animals. image via: The Nonist ) The all-time champ when it comes to huge proto-insects was Jaekelopterus rhenaniae , a Eurypterid sea scorpion that lived from 460 to 255 million years ago. It likely dined on our primitive marine ancestors – and pretty much anything else it encountered. Growing up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae was the largest Arthropod to have ever evolved. At least, so we hope.

Goliath Beetle (images via: Animal Planet , Woodmoor Beer and Buy.com ) Deep in the jungles of darkest Africa one may find the biggest, bulkiest, heaviest insect on Earth: the Goliath Beetle . Male Goliathus' can grow up to 4.3 inches (110 mm) long and their larvae can weigh up to 3.5 ounces or 100 grams: a true mega-maggot! Hobbyists have raised Goliath Beetles in captivity by feeding the newly hatched larvae dog or cat food. Goliath Beetles are members of the Scarab Beetle family and it's likely they were known to the ancient Egyptians. They can also fly using a single pair of clear membranous wings normally protected under their hinged shells. The sound of a Goliath Beetle in flight has been likened to that of a small helicopter. Camel Spiders (image via: Alchemy Imageworks ) While insects today have been cut down to size, so to speak, there are still some large enough to put a healthy scare into other animals, not to mention us. Take the Camel Spider… take it AWAY, is what I really mean to say!

Give our brave troops slogging through Iraqi deserts extra props for having to deal with these eight-legged freaks. (images via: Jim Meads , Woosk.com and Rod Maher ) While many of the tales told about Camel Spiders are fabrications (such as, they sometimes can be seen running alongside Humvees, screaming all the while), these arachnids can grow up to 10 inches (25 cm) wide, run as fast as 10 mph (16 kph) and like to hide in dark, sheltered places… like sleeping bags. (image via: CamelSpiders.net ) This famous photo of two Camel Spiders locked in mortal combat has made the rounds of the Internet but anything this creepy deserves another go-round. Note the spot-on desert camouflage coloring (troops and spiders) and their nasty-looking fangs (just the spiders). By the way, Camel Spiders are not found only in Iraq or the Middle East – try right next door in Mexico where they're known as "matevenados"… in English, that means "deer killers." Th-Th-Thumper, is th-that you??

Giant Water Bugs (images via: LostSprings.com and GreenPacks ) Giant Water Bugs of the genus Lethocerus, also known as "Toe Biters" – lovely, huh? – grow up to 5 inches (12 cm) long and are the terrors of freshwater ponds, gorging themselves on other insects, crayfish, tadpoles and the odd unlucky fish. When they bite a potential meal (or perhaps, your toe), the bugs inject an enzyme that liquifies tissue making it easy for the bug to slurp up its meal. (images via: Adam Vandenberg ) Needless to say, a bite from a Giant Water Bug can be exceptionally painful and victims have been known to suffer permanent muscle damage. Toe Biter 1, ToeCutter 0. (image via: What's That Bug ) Most of us would be happy to avoid Giant Water Bugs altogether but that's just impossible: they're so darned tasty! I'm not speaking from personal experience (though my Mom tells me I ate a June Bug once when I was 2, and said it was "good") but Giant Water Bugs are a delicacy in Thailand where they're caught using black (UV) light floating traps.

Very nice, but I'm sticking to the Pad Thai if that's OK with you. Japanese Giant Hornet (images via: Homely Scientist , Scinema 04 and TerritorioScuola ) Japanese Giant Hornets , unlike tarantulas, are NOT mild-mannered and most definitely do not make great pets. Great pests is more like it. Let's start with size: up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) long with a 2.5 inch (6 cm) wingspan. In Japanese they're called Oo-Suzumebachi, or "Giant Sparrow Bee"… and unlike everything else in Japan, there's nothing cute about them. They kill, on average, 40 people every year. That's more than the total number of deaths attributed annually to ALL wild animals in Japan, put together. (image via: Pretty Paisley ) The venom of Japanese Giant Hornets is considered to be "very potent", and it's injected through a wickedly curved stinger 1/4 inch (6.25 mm) long.

The sting itself was reported by Masato Ono, an entomologist (and sting-ee) from Tamagawa University, to feel "like a hot nail being driven into his leg". Oh, and it gets worse – an annoyed Japanese Giant Hornet will chase a perceived threat (read: YOU) for up to 3 miles and it can fly at speeds up to 25 mph (40 kph). Guess who wins that race. And… yes, there's more… this fiendish uber-wasp disperses a pheromone that will draw other hornets from far and wide. It bee nice knowin' ya! (images via: Ugly Overload and Arthropoda ) Though we can't blame Colony Collapse Disorder and the accompanying loss of millions of honeybees on the Japanese Giant Hornet, they should at least be brought in for questioning – not by me, of course. Check out the following video in which about 30 giant hornets take on a hive filled with around 30,000 honeybees by going all Ozzy Osbourne on them. The result? More bee-heading than in an Al-Qaeda member's wet dream: 30 Hornets vs.

30,000 Bees, via Silentrouge Giant Weta (images via: University of Stirling , Naturespic and 10 Daily Things ) The Giant Weta encompasses 11 varied species, growing to a length of 8 inches or 20 cm. They're found only in New Zealand and its nearby islands where they took over the ecological niches normally filled by rodents such as mice. When rodents were introduced to New Zealand by human settlers, the Giant Weta went into rapid decline. (image via: 10 Daily Things ) The Giant Weta's genus name, Deinacrida, is Greek for "terrible grasshopper" and it's a good choice as the spiky, spiny creature resembles some sort of radioactive mutated cricket from Hell. Even the native Maori were put off by the Giant Weta when they first encountered it, dubbing it "Weta Punga", or "god of ugly things." Yep, that's one big ugly bugly. (image via: Kiwi Mikex ) Giant Wetas are flightless and have struggled to survive after the introduction of non-native predators to the New Zealand archipelago.

They are among the world's heaviest insects with one specimen weighing in at a startling 2.5 ounces (70 grams). One wicked cricket… and we're gonna need a bigger wicket. Atlas Moth, Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly (images via: Butterfly Utopia and Pixdaus – Danif ) The Atlas Moth and the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterfly are the largest of the moths and butterflies, each achieving wingspans of over a foot (30 cm). The Atlas Moth , found in southeast Asia, the Malay archipelago and on the Indian subcontinent has been cultivated commercially for the silk used by its caterpillars to weave their cocoons. Entire Atlas Moth cocoons have been made into women's purses in Taiwan, where the women are obviously not at all squeamish. (image via: Vai Passar ) The Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterfly was first discovered by European naturalists in 1906, when a collector in what today is Papua New Guinea brought one down using a shotgun. Females have rounded wings than males and wingspans can reach just over 12 inches (31 cm) with body lengths of 3.2 inches (8 cm).

(images via: USA Today and Arkive ) Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterflies emerge from their cocoons in the humid early morning hours, before the daytime's hotter air can prematurely dry out their huge wings. Male butterflies are territorial and have been seen chasing away birds that inadvertently flew into their perceived domains. Goliath Birdeater Spider (images via: Cute and Weird , Bugman 123 ) Besides being a great band name, the Goliath Birdeater is one of the world's largest spiders. These jungle-dwelling tarantulas have an 11 inch (25 cm) leg span which puts them on par with the smaller-bodied Giant Huntsman spider of Laos. The Goliath Birdeater comes out ahead when it comes to weight, with mature specimens topping out at over 6 ounces (170 grams). Oh, the name? The first researcher to describe them observed one eating a hummingbird. They have also been known to kill and eat mice, bats, lizards, and small poisonous snakes. (image via: Cute and Weird ) As fearsome as they may appear, the Goliath Birdeater spider and other large tarantulas of the Amazon rainforest are not particularly aggressive – good thing!

Even when they do bite humans and their fangs (which can be up to 1.5 inches or 3.8 cm long) pierce skin, they rarely inject venom and bites are relatively – relatively – painless. It's not the fangs that are the main problem for people, it's the hairs that irritated tarantulas shake off their bellies. Incredibly thin and wickedly barbed, these hairs can become lodged in one's eyeballs and are nearly impossible to remove. Tarantula Hawk Wasp (images via: Hillside Photos , Birdfotos and Durango Nature Studies ) Another big bug with a seriously scary name, the Tarantula Hawk Wasp doesn't live in some faraway jungle or exotic island… nope, it's from New Mexico! In fact, the State of New Mexico adopted the Tarantula Hawk Wasp as their official state insect in 1989. If you happen to come across one, however, you're officially advised to leave it alone! Though not considered to be aggressive, the Tarantula Hawk Wasp WILL sting you if pestered, and then… let's just let Justin O.

Schmidt, author of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index , describe it: "Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath." Officially the sting of the Tarantula Hawk Wasp rates 4 on the Schmidt scale – which only goes up to 4. (image via: Hillside Photos ) Tarantula Hawk Wasps are among the world's largest wasps, growing up to 2 inches (50 mm) long. Unlike most familiar black & yellow banded wasps, they have bluish-black bodies and bright orange or rust-colored wings. As you may have guessed, they prey on tarantulas and other large spiders of the south-western desert. (image via: EmoFC.com ) A sting from the wasp doesn't kill the spider; that would be too kind. Instead, the wasp drags the paralyzed spider – a significant feat of strength, by the way – back to its burrow and lays an egg on its body. The egg then hatches and immediately begins eating its still-living meal. One spider-roll to go!

Here's a video of a Tarantula Hawk Wasp going stinger to fangs with a tarantula – be afraid, tarantula, be VERY afraid! Tarantula Hawk Wasp Attacks Tarantula, via CreekerCouncil Giant Walking Stick (images via: MethodShop , Mongabay ) Entomologists have described over 3,000 species of Stick Insects, and those of the genus Phobaeticus – the Giant Walking Stick – are the world's longest insects by far. Not including extended legs, these amazing creatures measure as much as 13 inches (33 cm) from head to the tip of their abdomen. Though Stick Insects of all types are strictly herbivorous, some species secrete a substance that produces intense irritation in the eyes and mouths of predators (or overly curious humans). In some cases, victims have been afflicted with temporary blindness. (image via: Qskan ) A smaller species known as the Indian or Laboratory Stick Insect (Carausius morosus) is a popular pet – and no opposite sex is required for breeding because they are both male and female, reproducing via parthenogenesis. Their geeky owners can only look on with envy.

Giant Isopod (images via: Marki's Block and ScienceBlogs ) What happens to whales when they die and sink deep, deep down to the Stygian depths of the ocean floor, miles below the surface? The Giant Isopod knows… and waits patiently, because the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and a decomposing whale is a blubbery buffet that keeps on serving way past closing time. . image via: Daily Mail UK ) Giant Isopods of the genus Bathynomus normally grow up to 14 inches (35 cm) in length, although one found clinging to a remote-controlled submarine operated by oil workers in the Gulf of Mexico last April (2010) measured an astonishing 30 inches (75 cm) long!

(image via: Qskan ) Here's a video of some Giant Isopods (and their scavenging buddies) in action, pumped up with a Yakety Sax soundtrack c/o the awesome BennyHillifier: Time-Lapse Video of Deep Sea Feeding Frenzy, via Lifeisadancer Isopods are actually a type of crustacean but they're included here because their close relatives, the common terrestrial woodlouse or pillbug, is one of the commonest bugs people see. As for the deep sea Giant Isopod, if you thought its whale-eating lifestyle was weird, consider that of another isopod: Cymothoa exigua, the tongue-eating louse . ( image via: WebEcoist ) This li'l feller finds its way into a fish's mouth and after avoiding being swallowed, bites the fish's tongue and begins drinking its blood. After a while, the fish's tongue shrivels up from lack of blood flow but Cymothoa doesn't want its host to die… so it firmly grips the tongue stub with its lower legs and begins to act as the fish's tongue! Nature… and you thought it was all rainbows, blossoms and Bambi.

(image via: Little Black Star ) If real large insects aren't frightening enough, fictional ones should tip the scales… as in the classic Japanese sci-fi movie monster Mothra , who would often subdue competing creatures with a shower of poisonous scales. Nice to know Hollywood Far East has put our primeval fear of big bugs to good use. Oh, and… goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the big bugs bite! Butterfly Farms | Butterfly Art and Nature Gifts – Largest Gift Selection Online! Killing Butterflies to Save Butterflies Larry Orsak Director, Christensen Research Institute P.O. Box 305, Madang, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Tropical nuts? Eco-tourism? Sorry. Raising or collecting insects to sell is the only incentive some indigenous peoples have to save their tropical forests. Will you support them? You probably know that virgin tropical forests are declining at an alarming rate — over half have been cleared in the last 40 years. And you may be aware that up to 2/3rds of all living species are tropical — an immense wildlife storehouse that contains untold medicines and other products for our future. The case for saving tropical forests is clear.

Many support this by buying “products of the rainforest,” or helping conservation organisations working in tropical nations. In the face of all this, collecting or buying tropical butterflies seems nothing less than a way to speed up their extinction. Right? Wrong! Those who equate killing butterflies with destroying butterflies don’t know much about butterflies, the tropics, or what strategies have gotten people in developing countries to save their forests. The fact is, buying tropical insects for your collection may be the best investment you ever made in tropical forest protection. This fact sheet tells you why. Papua New Guinea (PNG): World Leader in Conserving Tropical Butterflies… by Utilising Them! Papua New Guinea (PNG), a small nation located north of Australia, in another 20 years will likely be one of the last 4 places on earth to still have large tracts of virgin tropical forest (1). And it has some pretty fantastic insects, including the world’s largest (Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing) and second largest (Goliath Birdwing) butterflies, the world’s longest walking stick, largest katydid, hammer-headed flies, and a weevil that grows a garden of lichens and mosses on its back.

Added to this are 3000+ species of orchids, 10% of the world’s rhododendrons, and most of the world’s birds-of-paradise and bower bird species. From an insect perspective, PNG is unique in other ways too. It is the only country whose constitution designates insects as one of its renewable natural resources (2). It’s also the only country whose government set up an entity to develop this insect resource in a sustainable way — the Insect Farming & Trading Agency (in Bulolo, Morobe Province). The agency started in 1978 (3) and now sells nearly $400,000 worth of PNG insects yearly to collectors, naturalists, scientists and artists around the world. It buys these insects exclusively from Papua New Guinean villagers (4). Most of these are collected, but in the case of the common birdwing butterflies, the PNG government requires that they be bred. How Can Killing Butterflies Save Tropical Rain Forests? In developed countries, the “national park” strategy for conservation — buying land and setting it aside for wildlife — worked well.

People violated the rules sometimes, but it was rarely too much for a few rangers and the law to handle. With that kind of track record, it was natural that the “national park” strategy would be tried in the Third World(5), e.g., to protect Africa’s big game wildlife. But over 30 years ago, conservationists noticed that the strategy wasn’t working. Income earned from these national parks was largely going into government coffers. The surrounding people were benefiting little, if at all. Small wonder: they had little or no incentive to keep those parks intact. On the other hand, they could make money by poaching. And where human populations were increasing and survival was at stake, it was far more rewarding to cut firewood or make gardens inside those parks, than to leave them untouched. Think about it: Why would anyone who just barely eked out a living, elect to leave the wildlife alone, just because “it’s nice to have around?” That naive assumption typically comes from people who have all their basic needs met, and forget that their fortunate lifestyle gives them a unique perspective.

The International Union for Conservation (IUCN) recognised that the “national park” strategy had failed for developing countries in its 1980 World Conservation Strategy (6). They recommended instead a strategy called ‘conservation through development’ (7). Basically, it entails finding out the needs of the local people, then offering incentives which provide rewards to help them better themselves, in return for work and behavior that helps wildlife. Culling and selling excess wildlife is a very effective incentive. This is simply because everyone likes a tight “cause and effect,” and this incentive tightly links conservation with development opportunities (8): the peoples’ livelihood is closely tied to the survival of that wildlife population. This explains why elephant populations were stable in southern African countries where sustainable harvests were carried out; in contrast, the “totally protected” national park populations further north were being decimated by poaching. In PNG, villagers collect butterflies and other insects from their forests to sell. Or they plant caterpillar food plants and sell the adult butterflies that develop on those “extra” foodplants (a process known as “butterfly ranching”; touted as an almost perfect expression of the ‘conservation through development’ strategy –(9)).

Many make hundreds of dollars a year in a country where there is only 15% formal employment. Villagers realise that the forest is the source of this income. That gives them greater incentive to leave the area alone, particularly when they’re shown how those insects require the forest to survive. The money they earn is important. They need it to pay their children’s school fees (sorry, education is never free). Also, just like you don’t forego arguable luxuries, such as a private car, PNG villagers don’t care to forego their morning tea, their cooking pots, and other simple items that cost money. PNG villagers are clamoring for money. If they can’t make it off of forest butterflies, they will find other ways. Cash crops require forest clearing; logging royalties require forest clearing. Are those better alternatives than collecting and selling butterflies? Aren’t the Villagers Collecting Too Many Butterflies? They might if they could. But the fact is, insects are awfully hard to overcollect (10). The only insects that seem to be vulnerable to overcollecting are those whose populations (1) were naturally very small, e.g.

relictual or small island populations, or (2) were already decimated by habitat destruction. In fact, two imminent biologists, Drs. Robert MacArthur and Vincent Dethier, once purposely tried to overcollect a localised eastern US butterfly, the Baltimore. They failed (11)! Essentially, their actions were little different than that of any predator (e.g., a bird, or an explosion of spiders) that had found the population. With each caterpillar collected, the next one was harder to find. Those few caterpillars that escaped detection actually had a greater probability of developing into butterflies (according to the ecological theory of “density-dependent population regulation.” Because the resulting butterflies were scarcer than usual, they weren’t so likely to be found by naturally occurring predators — so the butterflies were more likely to survive and reproduce. So the following year, the caterpillar population had bounced back to usual numbers. The population was not hurt — yet this was a sedentary, localised population that should have been exceptionally vulnerable to overcollection! The fact is, many biologists take population management concepts based on vertebrates (e.g., birds, deer), and apply them to insects. That is wrong.

Nearly all insects have far greater reproductive capabilities than vertebrates; they can sustain far greater “harvest” rates. In short: it doesn’t matter whether the ‘harvester’ is a bird, a praying mantid.. or a butterfly collector! Aren’t the Birdwing Butterflies Being Sold, Endangered? Generally no! That politics sometimes masks fact is evident for the spectacular birdwings, the largest butterflies in the world, with numerous species distributed from southeast Asia to Australia. In PNG, the only birdwing that is even potentially endangered right now is the world’s largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae). For years it was touted as a ‘world conservation priority’ by IUCN, and protected by PNG and international legislation. It’s on the U.S. List of Endangered Species too. And what happened during all that attention and protection? Its habitat was steadily decimated by logging and oil plantation expansion (12). So much for the “old way” of saving wildlife. Had PNG villagers been given forest conservation incentives (raising and selling the butterfly being the easiest and cheapest to promote) and absolutely no protective legislation had existed, it is probable that more habitat would survive today.

Remember: “people can alter their behavior when they see that it will make things better….”(6). All the endangered species legislation did nothing to improve the well-being of the Papua New Guineans. When PNG’s birdwings were first protected by the PNG government (13), little was known of their distribution. Subsequent surveys show that PNG’s birdwings are often localised, but are widely distributed (14); new populations discovered all the time, most recently of the world’s largest butterfly (15). Except for the world’s largest butterfly, all other birdwings are on ‘Appendix II’ of CITES (Convention International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora). Being on Appendix II does not mean the species is threatened or endangered. It only means that trade in the species is being monitored (16). The PNG government has allowed the Insect Farming & Trading Agency to help one village grow and sell the Goliath Birdwing. A village-based butterfly ranching program for the Meridionalis Birdwing is in the works, and possibly one for the Paradise Birdwing.

Now that outsiders have had their chance to save the world’s largest birdwing through legislation, the PNG government hopes to be able to allow villagers to ranch and sell about 100 specimens per year to the Insect Farming & Trading Agency (17). Does Buying Any New Guinean Insect Help Save Forest? No. They have to be legally obtained insects. Only the Insect Farming & Trading Agency can issue permits to export Papua New Guinean insects for commercial purposes. This is so the Agency can both (1) control the market to keep prices for the villagers stable, and (2) returns maximum revenue back to the villagers. Occasionally Papua New Guineans sell directly to dealers, who illegally export the specimens. Ultimately, this hurts the long-term revenue for the villagers, because it saturates markets and lowers prices. Moreover, those dealers almost certainly make no effort to link insect collecting/raising with forest protection. Every legally exported lot of PNG insects is accompanied by a PNG export permit (each insect is not given a separate permit).

If the lot involves birdwing butterflies, they must also have a CITES stamp (which looks a lot like a postage stamp; again, the stamp is issued for the lot, not for each birdwing individual). Any dealer that buys direct from the Insect Farming & Trading Agency gets these; it’s up to the buyer to get a photocopy of the permits, or otherwise certify that such permits are on file, if forest conservation is of concern. Since birdwings have been on the CITES list since 1977, it is doubtful that any papered specimens bought from dealers (except perhaps for very rare species) were collected before listing (thus, exempting then from the CITES stamp requirement). Again, it’s up to you, the buyer to decide whether you accept lame excuses that specimens were collected “before CITES,” or instead adopt a buying strategy that maximises conservation prospects. Can’t Villagers Protect Their Forest & Make Money In Ways that Don’t Require Killing Things? Some conservation organizations are developing markets for nontimber forest products (e.g., nuts, fruits) so their revenue can be used as an incentive to protect tropical forest.

Also, “ecotourism” is widely touted as another way to convince people to protect their tropical forests. Why not promote these more “palatable” initiatives, instead of teaching indigenous people how to kill animals? First off, there is some deception concerning the “fruit and nuts” incentive. “Tropical juice blends” whose “forest products” include banana, papaya, and similar juices probably do nothing to protect virgin forest — those fruits come from gardens cleared from tropical forests! Second, some tropical forest areas have few edible fruits and nuts to exploit. PNG’s forests are an example (probably why Papua New Guineans turned from hunting and gathering, to agriculture, over 4,000 years ago); these island forests historically had few large animals that could have dispersed large fruits. And ecotourism? It’s overrated. Objective analyses by respected conservationists (8, 18, 19) indicate that it won’t be able to save most tropical forests: “only a small minority of protected areas attract significant numbers of visitors….

In particular, the potential for many tropical moist forest sites to attract large numbers of tourists is limited.”(8) The fact is, the world’s dwindling tropical forests will be saved only through a creative array of strategies. Different forest peoples have different options. They traditionally lived off their forest by killing animals. So long as they do it sustainably, the results of those harvests can be channeled to protect forest. Alternatively, outsiders from other nations can impose their cultural peccadilloes concerning wildlife use on these people — a form of modern-day colonialism. REFERENCES CITED IN THE TEXT (1) Myers N (1988) Tropical forests and their species: going, going….? pp. 28-35. IN:Biodiversity,ed. E.O. Wilson. Nat’l Acad. Press, Washing 521 pp. (2) Independent State of PNG (1975) Papua New Guinea Constitution, Part III, Basic Principles of Government, Division I, National Goals and Directive Principles, Port Moresby, PNG. (3) Hutton A (1983) Butterfly farming in Papua New Guinea. Oryx 19:158-162.

(4) Clark PB & A Landford (1991) Farming Insects in Papua New Guinea. Int’l. Zool. Yrbook. 30:127-131. (5) Machlis GE & DLO Tichnell (1985) The State of the World’s Parks: An International Assessment for Resource Management, Policy and Research. Westview Press, Boulder (6) IUCN/UNEP/WWF (1991) World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development. IUCN; UN Environ. Prog.; World Wildlife Fund. Gland, Switzer. 228 pp. (7) Amoseli National Park: enlisting landowners to conserve migratory wildlife. Ambio 11:302-310. (8) Wells M & K Brandon (1992) People and Parks: Linking Protected Area Management With Local Communities. World Wildlife Fund. US-AID. 99 pp. (9) Morris MG (1983) Cashing in on the insect trade. Int’l. Agric. Dev. 3:26-27.

(10) Pyle RM, M Bentzien & P Opler (1981) Insect conservation. Ann. Rev. Ent. 26:223-258. (11) Dethier VM & RA MacArthur (1962) A field’s capacity to support a butterfly population. Nature (12) Parsons M (1990) Re-establishment of the Ornithoptera alexandrae (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) conservation project…. Unpubl. report on a World Bank Consul. in Papua New Guinea from 1-21 June 1990. Glendale, California, USA 62 pp. (13) Shaw DE (1969) Conservational ordinances in Papua New Guinea. Biol. Cons. 2:50-53. (14) Parsons M (1983) A conservation study of the birdwing butterflies, Ornithoptera and Troides (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in Papua New Guinea. Unpul. report to PNG Dept. Primary Industry.

112 pp (15) Mercer C (1992) Survey of Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly on Managalase Plateau, Papua New Guinea. Proc. PNG Biol. Soc. 9 pp. (16) CITES (1973) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Special Suppl. to the IUCN Bulletin 4(2):35-40. March issue; reprinted April 1983. (17) Orsak LJ (1992) Saving the world’s largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing (Ornithopter alexandrae)…. Unpubl. report to PNG Dept. of Environ. & Conserv. Waigani, PNG 732 pp. (18) African People, African Parks. An Evaluation of Development Initiatives as a Means of Improving Protected Area Conservation in Africa. US-AIDS Biodiv. Support Programme, Conservation Int’l. Washington. 76 pp. (19) MacKinnon JK, G Child & J Thorsell (1986)Managing Protected Areas in the Tropic.

IUCN, Gland, Switzer. 295 pp. The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions How warm is the Conservatory? The Conservatory is kept at approximately 85 degrees F. with a relative humidity of 80%. The temperature is about 5 degrees lower at night. These warm humid conditions are needed for the tropical plants and butterflies. A computerized controlled weather system continuously monitors and controls temperature and relative humidity. How many kinds of butterflies are there? There are about 50 - 60 species of butterflies in the Conservatory. Some species are always present but others are only available seasonally, so you might see many different butterflies each time you visit. Over a year we have approximately 75 different species in the Conservatory. Where do the butterflies come from? Our butterflies come from butterfly farms in the tropics. At these farms butterflies are bred in captivity. The eggs hatch and the caterpillars feed on their native host plants. Once they pupate to a chrysalis, they are harvested and shipped by courier to our Conservatory. Various government permits are required to import the butterflies. Do the butterflies mate in the Conservatory?

You may see what looks like an eight-winged butterfly as you tour the Conservatory; these are actually a breeding pair. This behavior is referred to as coupling. Can butterflies bite or sting? They are not able to because they do not have the necessary mouthparts. In contrast to other insects, the butterfly is a model of innocence. How well do butterflies see? A butterfly sees its surroundings through its compound eyes, these are a complex mosaic of tiny lenses. They are able to detect motion and a limited number of different colors - predominantly red, orange and yellow. Butterflies are capable of detecting ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans, suggesting that they may well see the color of flowers in a quite a different way than we do. Are there any caterpillars in the Conservatory? Caterpillars are very host specific; each species will only feed on one kind of plant or group of plants. Caterpillars are voracious eaters and would soon defoliate the plants in the Conservatory if they were present. To avoid this fate the landscaping does not include the host plants of the caterpillars. How long does a butterfly live? Once they reach the butterfly stage, most live an average of about 10 days.

There are exceptions in the Conservatory. The Longwing butterflies can live 3 or more months. If butterflies live such a short time, how do Monarchs get to Mexico? Summer generations of Monarchs live about a month, but the migrating generation lives much longer. Butterflies that emerge in late summer fly to Mexico in about six weeks. Once there they roost in trees. They may live six months or more before they head north, lay their eggs and complete their cycle of 5 generations. Do all butterflies migrate? No, not all butterflies migrate. Some species can survive the winter as adults, eggs, caterpillars or pupa; thus, do not have to migrate. A major migrant in North America is the Monarch; in Europe and North Africa it is the Painted Lady. It is in the interest of the species to move abroad and find new territories. Getting away from the parental area is good for the species. What do butterflies feed on? Most butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers. Some butterflies also eat pollen, which sticks to their proboscis, dissolves and is ingested. Pollen provides a source of protein, which allows these butterflies to live much longer.

Many of the tropical butterflies feed on rotting fruit while others feed on refuse. What is the biggest butterfly in the Conservatory? The Owl butterflies are the largest. The female Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is considered the world's largest butterfly measuring up to 11" in wingspan. They are found in New Guinea and are protected. The smallest butterfly is the Pygmy Blue. Its wingspan measures about half an inch. Are there any moths in the Conservatory? When they are in season, we have the Atlas moth, the largest in the world. Their wingspan can reach up to 12". The Solitary Oak Leaf Miner Moth has wings that span less than a quarter of an inch. It is one of the smallest moths in the world. Most moths are nocturnal, flying at night or in dim light. Their lifespan is a short 4 or 5 days. What do you do with the dead butterflies? Being a U.S.D.A. Quarantined facility, our butterflies are disposed of in accordance to their rules and regulations. When is the best time of day to see the butterflies? Different butterflies are active at different times of the day.

In the morning you may see many butterflies basking in the sun warming up their muscles to fly, or feeding at the flowers and fruits. As the sun fades later in the day some butterflies, like the Owls, become active while others start to roost. The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory | 1316 Duval Street | Key West, FL 33040 12 of the Most Fascinating Butterflies (amazing butterflies, beautiful butterflies) - ODDEE 12 of the Most Fascinating Butterflies 1/28/2010 1 Transparent Butterfly Glasswing Butterfly (Greta Oto) is a brush-footed butterfly which wings are transparent. The tissue between the veins of its wings looks like glass. They are found in the range which extends throughout Central America into Mexico. ( Source ) 2 Dead Leaf Butterfly Leaf Butterflies look brilliant when their wings lay flat – they come in all manner of colors and shapes. But when their wings fold up they look like leaves – sometimes green, sometimes brown, as if fallen and dead. The likeness to a dead leaf is nothing short of remarkable. They live in forested, lush areas like New Guinea, southern Asia, Madagascar and India.

( Source ) 3 Neglected Eighty-Eight Butterfly A neglected eighty-eight butterfly (Diaethria neglecta) in Brazil's Pantanal displays the design of lines and dots that gave it its unusual common name. ( Source ) 4 Giant Owl Butterfly The giant owl butterfly falls under the genus Caligo and are commonly called Owl butterflies, after their huge eyespots, which resemble owls' eyes. There are about 20 species in the genus, found in the rain forests of Mexico, Central and South America. Owl butterflies are very large. Their wingspan can reach up to more than 8in and fly only a few meters at a time. Therefore, avian predators have little difficulty in following them to their settling place. However, the butterflies preferentially fly around dusk, when few avian predators are around. 5 Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the largest butterfly in the world, with a wingspan up to 1 foot (30 cm). This tropical butterfly is from northern Papua New Guinea's rainforest. The caterpillars eat the pipevine plant, which contains poison; this makes the butterfly toxic to predators, which will get sick if they eat it.

( Source | Photo ) 6 Emerald Swallowtail Butterfly The Emerald Swallowtail (Papilio palinurus) is a butterfly found primarily in South East Asia and is one of the very few green butterflies around. It is also referred to as Emerald Peacock or Green-banded Peacock Swallowtail. There are several subspecies (from Burma, Borneo, Indonesis, Nias and the Philippines). ( Source ) 7 Zebra Longwing Butterfly Long black wings with distinctive thin yellow bands - combined with slow, graceful flight - characterize the zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius). It has a wide range of habitats, including hardwood hammocks, thickets, and gardens. The zebra longwing is found in south Florida, particularly in the Everglades National Park. In 1996 the state legislature designated the zebra longwing as the official state butterfly. ( Source ) 8 White Morpho Butterfly The White Morpho (Morpho polyphemus) is a white tropical butterfly from Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. Both the upper and lower wings are bright white, with some small light brown markings.

There is a row of small eye-looking spots on the underside of the of hindwings. The caterpillar has been known to eat Paullinia pinnata (family Sapindaceae) and Inga (family Fabaceae). ( Source ) 9 The peacock pansy butterfly (Junionia almana) sports striking eyespots and purple patterns. ( Source ) 10 Wood White Butterfly The wood white butterfly is a rather delicate-looking species, often overlooked along with other members of the white butterfly family. It is creamy-white with grey tips to the upper-forewings, and has grey veins on both upper and hind wings. 11 Great Mormon Butterfly Great Mormon (Papilio memnon) is a large butterfly with contrasting colors that belongs to the Swallowtail family. A common South-Asian butterfly, it is widely distributed and has thirteen subspecies. The female is polymorphic and has mimetic forms. ( Source | Photo ) 12 Strange butterfly spotted in Northeast Brazil. ( Source ) From the Web Fun butterfly stuff for kids Coloring4all * * * * Fun Butterfly and Moth Facts * * * * The fastest butterfly can fly 12 miles per hour.

Some moths can fly 25 miles per hour. Some moths never eat anything as adults because they don't even have mouths. They must live on the energy they stored when they were eating leaves as caterpillars. Butterflies can taste their food with their feet. Moths and butterflies smell with their antennae. Many people around the world (Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and South America) actually eat bugs because they are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and fats. Most insects are beneficial to people because they eat other insects, pollinate crops, are food for other animals, have medicinal uses and make products that we use, like honey and silk. The smallest butterfly, the Pygmy Blue in the southern USA, is only a half inch wide. The largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing in the rain forest of New Guinea, is almost 12 inches wide. Wow, that's as big as a bird. Caterpillars that over-winter produce glycerol in their body, a kind of natural antifreeze. The Painted Lady butterfly is the most wide-spread butterfly in the world. Once a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis it never grows any larger.

Only the caterpillar grows. Can you find the butterfly hiding in this picture? Click on the photo to enlarge. Hint ~ its closed wings are colored shades of brown like tree bark. With its wings open, this American Lady butterfly is now very easy to see! Many butterflies like to drink juices from old mushy fruits.

Question: What type of creature is a Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, the largest of its kind?
Answer: A butterfly