Where do butterflies live?
Quick Answer
Butterflies live all over the world, except in Antarctica and the harshest deserts. Many butterflies live in tropical climates like those found in Hawaii and Mexico.
Continue Reading
Full Answer
One of the main things that influence where butterflies choose to live is the abundance of food. If butterflies end up in a particular place but can't find food, they quickly move on. Caterpillars, or butterfly larvae, eat the leaves of green plants. Caterpillars need to eat a lot to complete the metamorphosis of turning into a butterfly. Adult butterflies eat nectar, water and some fruit juices.
Adult butterflies have a straw-like appendage called a proboscis that allows them to suck liquids from their favorite foods. They have an all-liquid diet and never eat solid foods.
There are more than 18,000 species of butterflies known to exist all over the world. Some species, such as the painted lady, monarch and little yellow butterflies, migrate when the weather turns colder and food becomes scarce. Many species spend the winter as caterpillars and emerge as butterflies in the spring. Some species, such as the tortoiseshell, hibernate during the winter.
No matter where they live, many adult butterflies have a lifespan of approximately 1 month. Small species live 1 to 2 weeks, and larger butterflies may live up to 9 months.
Learn more about Butterflies & MothsRelated Questions
-
Q:
What are some fascinating facts about the Painted Lady butterfly?
A: Painted Lady butterflies are the most wide-ranging species of butterfly in the world, leading some to call them cosmopolitan butterflies. While they inhabi... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What eats butterflies?
A: Lizards, snakes and toads are a few animals that eat butterflies, according to the TheButterflySite. Frogs eat butterflies as well, and monkeys and rats ar... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is a butterfly collector called?
A: A person who collects and studies butterflies is called a lepidopterist. Lepidopterology (also lepidoptery) is a branch of zoology dealing with both butter... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Do woolly worms turn into butterflies?
A: Woolly worms turn into moths, not butterflies. The woolly worm is the larva of the Isabella tiger moth, a moth of medium size that has yellow-orange and cr... Full Answer >Filed Under:
