Butterfly – Anatomy

Like many other insects, butterflies have their body divided in three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. All butterfly’s outer body is covered by tiny sensory hairs.

All butterflies have 2 pairs of overlapping wings comprised of a thin membrane, with a network of tubular veins, which radiate from the base of the wings. The wing membrane is partially or fully covered in a dust-like layer of colored scales.

From between the eyes emerge a pair of segmented antennae that can be angled at various positions and works as a pheromone detectors, which are used for mate location and individual recognition.

The thorax region consists of three segments with a pair of legs attached to each segment; however, the front pair can be non-functional and reduced in length in some butterfly families.

At the beginning of the digestive system of an adult butterflies there are a tubular structure (like a drinking straw) that can be used to reach deep into flowers to suck up nectar.

Butterflies reproduced by eggs that are laid in an appropriate food plant for the larvae to feed when hatched.