Interesting facts about butterflies for children. Butterfly-lemongrass: interesting facts

Bright fluttering butterflies few people can leave indifferent. Fluttering smoothly over the flower meadow, they fascinate with their beauty and deeply affect the strings of the human soul. In addition to beauty, these unusual insects are interesting for their behavior and features of life. In the article we will share with readers unusual stories from the life of butterflies. In our material, we collected a variety of interesting facts about butterflies. Especially informative such information will be for younger schoolchildren and toddlers of preschool age. The information can be used in a lesson or simply told to children in order to expand knowledge about the surrounding world of small researchers.

Who are butterflies?

Butterflies are lepidopteran insects. This means that on their wings there are many small scales, which, breaking the sunlight from different angles, form a characteristic pattern.

Often children confuse scales with pollen. Try to shake off, clean the wings of the insect. Actually, it's impossible to do this in any way. The butterfly wings will recoil, it can not fly and will perish.

But in nature there are butterflies without wings. These are such species as steppe steppe and common. They live in a cocoon and feed on what they managed to stock up with caterpillars.

There are butterflies who know how to dive. These are insects such as underwater firing. Interesting facts about butterflies for children of the 2nd class can be used in natural history lessons. Preschoolers will still have difficulty understanding the physiology of insects. But to teach kids to take care of nature can and should be at any age.

Butterflies have three pairs of legs and a long proboscis, which, if necessary, turns into a full-fledged nutrition organ. These lepidopterans are pollinators of plants, as well as bees. In addition, they never sleep. Some attract attention with their unusual bright color, others, on the contrary, are masked. For example, a butterfly-lemon grass is like a leaf. Interesting facts about this beauty can be found below.

Butterflies live in the whole world, except for Antarctica. But the life span of these insects is short: from several days to six months, depending on the species.

Science, which studies butterflies, is called lepidopterology.

What do butterflies eat?

Depending on the species, insects can eat floral nectar, juice from trees and rotten fruit. Some prefer tears and animal droppings. In a certain period, it does not mind eating mud, thanks to which it is possible to stock up with mineral substances. A butterfly of the Kaliptra species feeds on the blood of cattle. In addition, some subspecies can suck and drink blood from an open wound, while others can even pierce the skin with the help of an acute proboscis.

These interesting facts about butterflies can be presented in the form of a game even to the youngest children.

Birth magic

Until now, no scientist has been able to explain all the metamorphoses taking place in the process of insect development. Interesting facts about butterflies can be told, telling about the stages of the appearance of such an unusual insect. So, the butterfly goes through several stages of formation: the egg - the caterpillar (larva) - the pupa - the adult individual.

Sexually mature female lays eggs most often on leaves of trees. Some species protect their offspring by digging eggs in the ground, others cover with their own scales, others have the ability to produce special mucus.

Depending on the type of insect and external factors, the caterpillar of eggs can hatch for several days or months. This period is characterized by the fact that the insect is actively feeding, storing necessary substances.

During molting, morphological changes occur - the insect turns into a pupa. Butterflies protect their peace in different ways: some make cocoons of silk thread, which they themselves produce, others build a "house" of grains of sand and earth, and others - from their own cuticle.

Fluttering beauties with wet wings are born. Therefore, at the time of hatching from the chrysalis, it is extremely important for butterflies to have a support in the form of a twig - clasping it with paws, insects dry and spread their wings. After that they can safely make their first flight.

Such interesting facts about butterflies for children of primary school age are recommended to be resulted by walking in the spring in the park or in the suburban area. And you can consolidate theoretical knowledge by observing the walks behind the development of an insect from a larva to an adult butterfly.

Butterflies in mythology

Interesting facts about butterflies, their origin and the attitude of people to these insects can be learned by getting acquainted with archeological artifacts. Butterflies are the most ancient insects. Excavations have discovered remains that are 150 million years old. There are about 160,000 species of these unusual fauna.

In ancient times butterflies, like all mysterious and unsolved, were both admired and feared. The unusual life cycle of an insect provoked a mystification and deification of such a creature.

During the excavation, frescoes of ancient Egyptians were found, on which butterflies are depicted. In those days, people identified human life with this insect.

Some people have a butterfly - a harbinger of happiness, joy, love. Others believe that the fluttering insect is the souls of dead people, the embodiment of demons and witches.

In ancient Greek myths, there are butterflies in the role of Psyche - a girl who personifies the human soul, and the Scandinavian peoples came up with elves - kind men with butterfly wings. In India the butterfly was considered the progenitor of the whole world. And the Buddha dedicated a whole sermon to this insect. In many beliefs the butterfly personifies rebirth and immortality.

Such interesting facts about the life of butterflies will interest not only children, but adults.

Folk signs

In the people on the behavior of butterflies portend the weather. So, if hives hid - soon it will rain. In rainy weather, the night butterfly flies - to be warm.

If butterflies flutter over a man - to good news, happiness.

A butterfly flew into the window - not good, it is necessary to release the insect to freedom.

Traditions

Today you will not surprise guests with a salute from butterflies at a wedding or anniversary. It turns out that this tradition is not one hundred years! It originated in Japan. The ease and charm of insects was compared with the art of a geisha. Therefore, butterflies at the wedding were considered a wish for the bride to comprehend female wisdom. A pair of butterflies symbolized a strong marriage. These interesting facts about butterflies have long been noted by modern wedding organizers, offering young people the decoration of the holiday with live and artificial butterflies.

Modern Chinese weddings can not do without the butterfly symbol: before the wedding, the groom gives the bride the decoration in the form of this insect as a symbol of love and care.

Specially to breed butterflies became at court of Louis XIV. In the winter garden of the king, it was possible to meet insects of the most varied colors and species.

Records

The most interesting facts about butterfly-record holders:

1. The largest representative of the species is Tisaniya agrippina. The range of its wings is almost 31 cm. Slightly smaller than the Ptitchekrylka. Its dimensions reach 28 cm.
2. The smallest is the baby Mal. Its open wings are 2 mm in length.
3. The longest proboscis is found in the Brazhniki. In the species inhabiting Madagascar, the length of this organ is 28 cm.
4. The most common in the world is the butterfly Vanessa Cardi family Nymphalides.
5. The dead head of the Brazhniki family is making a loud noise.
6. The olfaction of the Peacock-eyed is very developed. They catch the smell at a distance of 10 km.
7. Faster than all fly the Brave.
8. The heaviest representative of butterflies is the Bouyadyuval.

Butterfly-lemongrass: interesting facts

In our latitudes you can find a lemon tree belonging to the family Belyanok. It is very difficult to notice in the foliage, as the color resembles a leaf of a tree. It is often possible to see how children are surprised by the unusual flight of the "leaflet". This color is a protective masking.

Another interesting feature of lemon grass is the fact that it never lands with open wings. If you disturb the butterfly, it will fold its wings and legs, and then fall down, thus disguising itself as a twig or fallen leaf. She is a long-liver, since she can live more than a year.

We have told you only some interesting facts about butterflies. For children it is important to learn that butterflies are extraordinary creatures. Each species has its own peculiarities and inexplicable abilities. They fascinate and inspire. It should be emphasized that it is impossible to destroy such beautiful creatures for the sake of fun or fleeting passion. From an early age, adults should explain to babies the importance of such a small creature as a butterfly in the surrounding world.