Butterfly Wings Facts

Butterfly wings create the beauty and color that make a butterfly such a fascinating part of the insect world. A butterfly can be identified by its wing color and shape.

Wings and Flight

A butterfly actually has four wings--two forewings and two hindwings. When the butterfly flexes its thorax muscles to fly, it forms a figure-eight pattern.

Emerging Butterfly

When a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, its wings are very delicate, damp and crinkled. The butterfly will hang upside down and pump blood into its wings in an attempt to straighten out or inflate the wings.

Scales

Butterfly wings are made up of tiny scales that overlap like hairs. The scales create the color and the pattern on the wings.

Mating

Male butterflies have scent scales on their forewings that release pheromones to attract females. In addition, certain patterns will attract a mate.

Coloration

There are ultraviolet patterns in butterfly wings that can be seen by other butterflies, but not humans. The coloration of butterfly wings serves a number of purposes, including camouflage, warning to predators, attracting a mate, deception and heat collection. The underside of a butterfly's wings have be a duller color and pattern.

At Rest

When a butterfly is at rest, it will hold its wings up, or vertically. A butterfly will occasional flex its wings while it is at rest.

References

• Butterfly Wing Anatomy