The wings also contain a system of veins that circulate blood, and strong muscles on the butterfly's body move the wings up and down. These scales are the "dust" that comes off a butterfly wing as it brushes against leaves and flowers. They are covered with thousands of tiny modified hairs called scales that reflect the light, creating the extraordinary colors and patterns we see. These layers are so thin you can see through them. The main structure of the wing is made of thin layers of chitin, a protein that also makes up the outer "shell" of the body. Winging it. Do you know what butterfly wings are made of? They're actually pretty complex. And although both butterflies and moths develop in a chrysalis, most moths also spin a protective cocoon. You can see another difference when they're resting: most moths flatten their wings out over their bodies, while most butterflies raise them up and against each other. ![]() Because of when they're active, butterflies tend to be more colorful than moths, but that's not always the case. Most moths fly at night, while most butterflies fly during the day. Moths also tend to have larger, fuzzier bodies than butterflies. Butterflies generally have long, smooth antennae that are rounded on the ends, while most moths have thick, feathery antennae. ![]() The largest may reach 12 inches (30 centimeters) across, while the smallest may be only 0.12 inches (0.3 centimeters).īutterfly or moth? There are ways to tell them apart. There are about 165,000 known species, found on every continent except Antarctica, and they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. ![]() These fascinating magicians are Lepidopterans-also known as butterflies, moths, and skippers. They drink from mud puddles and transform from caterpillars to fluttering adults. Their eyes are made of 6,000 lenses and can see ultraviolet light. They taste with their feet and have a suction tube for a mouth.
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