“Happiness is like a butterfly: it flies without ever looking back.” Robert Lalonde

Butterflies are lepidoptera and caterpillars are larvae. The real name of the butterfly is Imago. It is the most well-known insect in the world.

It is listed in France more than 5000 species (including 100 that you can find here) and between 155,100 and 174,233 worldwide.
Studies on fossils show that the butterfly already existed 201 million years ago.

Description:

They come with 3 pairs of legs (like all insects) and 2 pairs of wings covered with scales with colors that vary depending on the species. Their vision is different from that of the human being. We could say that they see less well but they have other abilities such as:
– Their visual field is wider,
– Rapid movements are better perceived,
– They distinguish perfectly ultraviolet and polarized lights,
– The different colors are best distinguished by butterflies with preferences according to their species.

Butterflies are phytophagous. That is, they feed only on plants. Adults feed on nectars of flowering plants.

 

The lifespan of a butterfly varies between one day and nine months depending on the species. The male dies shortly after mating. At the beginning of summer there are almost only males and at the end of summer there are only females left.

Reproduction:

They lay eggs that give caterpillars. These then turn into chrysalises from which he later takes out the butterfly.

Disappearance:

In Europe, butterflies are used as a bioindicator.
They are used to assess the state and health of ecosystems. This role is attributed to them because they are vulnerable to many factors of environmental degradation and are pollinators.

We can notice that there are far fewer butterflies in our fields than there were twenty years ago.
Indeed, just like bees and pollinating insects, butterflies are in great decline. This is due in particular to agriculture (monoculture and pesticides), road mortality and light pollution.

Effect of butterflies on our planet:

The flapping of a butterfly’s wings could create tiny changes in the atmosphere, causing severe weather elsewhere on the planet.

Many flowering plants are so closely related to butterflies (and vice versa) that one cannot survive without the other…

Myth:

In Japan, the butterfly is the emblem of the woman thanks to its lightness.
Two butterflies represent marital happiness.
If we see a butterfly, it announces a visit or a death.