Butterflies belong to the order of insects called lepidoptera. Lepidoptera means "scaled wings." The purpose of their scales is to give them their bright colors. Can you see the scales on the top part of the picture? Most butterflies have the same body structure, or anatomy. Their adult bodies are made up of three parts; the head, the thorax and the abdomen.
 
 

Is It A Moth Or A Butterfly?

    Do you know how to tell a butterfly from a moth? Look at these pictures and see if you can find any differences?  The first picture is a moth. The second picture, the one that has two pictures in it, is of a butterfly.
 
 

This picture has two pictures of the same butterfly. When comparing the butterfly to the moth , use the picture on this side (the right side).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    I'll give you a hint, look at their wing position.
    Do you think that you know the answer? Check it out!
 
 
 

Another Interesting Fact:

    To tell if a monarch butterfly is a male or female, you need to look for a special spot. The special spot is called an alar spot. If the butterfly is male, it will have an alar spot on a vain on each hind wing. Look at this picture below. It has the alar spot labeled. It is sort of difficult to see. You have to look very carefully! This means that this butterfly is a male.
 
 

Are Butterflies In Danger Of Extinction?

    The number of butterflies is slowly decreasing. In about 40 years, scientists think that there will not be as many types of butterflies as there are now. Why is the number of butterflies getting smaller? The main reason is that their habitat, a creatures natural home, is being destroyed.  Our atmosphere is polluted. Butterflies and caterpillars need special plants to eat or they cannot survive. These plants are usually found in wild areas. Wild areas where butterflies live are being torn down and turned into farm land where crops are being grown. These crops are being sprayed with chemicals that are not good for the butterflies.
    What do you think we can do to help save the butterflies?

    There are some things that we can do. We can stop collecting butterflies and caterpillars. We can help them survive by planting the plants that they need to live. Any nectar producing plant will help attract butterflies. You can also find out which type of plants that specific caterpillars eat and plant them as well. It will also be a big help to make sure that you do not pollute the earth. If we do not want butterflies to disappear, then we have to make sure that their habitat is not destroyed.
 

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