Happy Butterfly Education Awareness Day

by Jonah Holland , PR and Marketing Coordinator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

A Julia butterfly. Photo by Don Williamson Photography.

Did you know that Butterfly Education Awareness Day is  today, June 7, 2014? We’re celebrating by sharing some butterfly fast facts with you.

Did you know that:

• Butterflies breathe through pores on their sides
• Their wings’ color patterns result from tiny, modified hairs (scales)
• Butterflies tend to be most active on clear, sunny days
• Some overwinter in native habitats while others migrate
• Large compound eyes provide a 360° view
• They have no mouth parts; they use a straw-like proboscis to sip nectar
• Insects, birds, rodents, etc. are natural enemies
• They smell with their antennas and taste with their feet
• Butterflies extract water and minerals from damp soil
• Some tropical butterflies prefer the juice of rotting fruit to flower nectar
• Some bask in the sun to reach an 85° temperature for flight
• Man is their greatest enemy through herbicides, pesticides, and habitat destruction

Visit Butterflies LIVE! to learn more about both native and tropical butterflies.