How long does a butterfly live? The life span of a butterfly varies between species. Small species may live for several days whilst other species of butterflies may live for a few months. The species we have on display have an average life span of 4 weeks.
The average life of a butterfly is around two weeks, but some species can live over 11 months such as the Mourning Cloak (a North American butterfly). In Australia, the Monarch Butterfly can live up to 8 months in winter, and the Blue Tiger Butterfly can live up to six months.
2. How long do butterflies live? Here's the short version: Most adults, on average, live from two to four weeks. There are several factors, however, that come into play, such as the species, where it lives, and when it became an adult.
The lifespan of most adult butterflies is only 2 to 3 weeks, but this can vary greatly among species. It also depends on factors like the size of the butterfly, where it lives, and what time of year it hatches. Often, the larger the butterfly, the longer it lives.
Butterfly wings become worn and faded over time. Therefore, the condition of a butterfly's wings is a clue to its age.
Among the butterflies, it is only the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock that regularly overwinter inside houses. They come in during late summer/early autumn when it is still warm outside and our houses appear to provide suitably cool, sheltered dry conditions.
At night, or when the day is cloudy, adult butterflies rest by hanging upside down from leaves or twigs, where they are hidden among the foliage.
Did you know that many species of adult butterflies are born without mouths? Some are able to sip nectar from flowers, but most species rely on the nutrients they were able to store as caterpillars. This is why adults tend to have a short lifespan.
Butterflies are cold-blooded and need the light from the sun to warm the muscles they use to fly. Not only do butterflies like the sun, the plants the they thrive on need full direct sun. Most plants need at least 8 hours of sunlight to bloom properly and provide enough nectar.
Butterflies are active during the day, so at night they find a hiding place and go to sleep. In the same way, moths are active at night and during the day moths hide and rest. Animals that sleep during the night, like most butterflies, are diurnal. Animals that sleep during the day, like most moths, are nocturnal.
Good plants for butterflies include: Hardenbergia violacea, Goodenia species, Buddleija, verbena, salvias, native grasses, daisies, herbs and 'weedy' plants such as nettles.
Butterflies don't bite because they can't. Caterpillars munch on leaves and eat voraciously with their chewing mouthparts, and some of them do bite if they feel threatened. But once they become butterflies, they only have a long, curled proboscis, which is like a soft drinking straw—their jaws are gone.
Butterflies have been recorded in fossils dating back to the mid-Eocene epoch, around 40-50 million years ago, although their origin is thought to be earlier. Lithopsyche is about 34 million years old, 'so it's an old flapper,' says Claire.
Because of their straw-like mouthparts, butterflies are mainly restricted to a liquid diet. Butterflies use their proboscis to drink sweet nectar from flowers. Nectar sometimes resides deep within a flower and the proboscis allows the butterfly to reach this sugary treat.
In summary, unlike humans, butterflies cannot remember personal experiences (if any) from their time as a caterpillar. Their memory is strictly biological, allowing them to recall things that endanger their well-being—like an electric shock!
That "first date feeling" is actually a chemical response. Over time, the feeling fades away naturally. You can re-create that feeling by doing something new for the first time with your partner.
Butterflies are attracted to the salt in your sweat.
The natural salt and minerals in sweat can draw a butterfly to land on you. Think of it this way, your sweat is just as sweet as a flower's nectar to a butterfly. This is also why you may see butterflies settling next to puddles or on mud—they're looking for salt.
Butterflies may not have a human's sharp vision, but their eyes beat us in other ways. Their visual fields are larger, they're better at perceiving fast-moving objects, and they can distinguish ultraviolet and polarized light.
A quick and easy method to euthanize butterfly eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, and adults is simply to place them in the freezer overnight. Within a couple of minutes, they are normally already dead. They can be placed in a paper or plastic bag, sealed shut, and laid in the freezer.
“Excessive handling is not good for butterflies, it's not great to touch them; but a lot of time you can gently catch them in your hands and they will fly away and be just fine,” Tom Green County Horticulturist Allison Watkins said.
If a butterfly does get wet, it simply stays still until the water evaporates off their body. Butterflies often bask in the sun to dry their wings. The Zebra Longwing Butterflies, like to find shelter in the company of one another during the evening or periods of rain.
The best thing you can do if you see a butterfly flying about in your house in the middle of winter is to help it relocate to a cooler spot. Put it in a cardboard box for a while to calm it down and then leave it in your shed, garage or another suitable location. Somewhere cool and dry is ideal.
Do not put it outside through as it is unlikely to survive. If the butterfly has moved a lot since coming out of its sleep it may need feeding. The easiest way to do this is to melt some sugar in warm water, allow it to cool and then soak some cotton wool with the mixture.