1. Butterflies and their habitat
Secondary School Lefkimmis
Butterflies' Team

2. All adult butterflies have a proboscis, which is extremely suited for obtaining liquid food, mostly nectar from flowers. The proboscis is derived from structures from the maxillae. The length of the proboscis is determining for which flowers can be used to obtain nectar. But the habitat in which they live is determined also by the feeding behavior of the butterflies’ larvae.

3. Study Case: Butterflies
Hypothesis:
Adult vs Caterpillar butterflies: which are the casual guests and which are the long-term tenants?

4. Life cycle – Butterflies
Larva
Pupa
Egg
Adult

5. Feeding Behavior - Butterflies
Adult butterflies feed on nectar from flowers, but their larvae need foliage to feed on

6. Proboscis - Adult
The butterflies have more legs which help them to feed.

7. Swallowtails - Larva
Pale Tiger Swallowtail

8. Swallowtails - Larva
Two-tailed Swallowtail

9. Cabbage white - Larvae
Cabbage white

10. Blues and Coppers
Larvae live inside ant hills!!!

11. Feeding and camouflage - Other Larvae
Swallowtail larvae
Puss moth larva

12. Goldenrod plant Plants with bright
yellow, red, orange or purple flowers attract butterflies and many other beneficial insects
Flower fly

13. Foodplants of butterfly larvae
Milbert’s Tortoise:
Willow, sunflower
Red Admiral:
Nettles, hollyhocks
© A. Latchininsky 2006
Fritillaries:
Violets
Ruddy Copper:
Dock (Rumex)
Monarch:
Common milkweed
Pine Elfin:
Ponderosa ad lodgepole pines

14. Foodplants of butterfly larvae
Weidemeyer’s Admiral:
aspen, willow, cottonwood
Two-Tailed Tiger:
wild cherry, ornamental plums and cherry, green ash
Cabbage White:
cabbage, broccoli, mustards, cauliflower, ornamental kale
W. Tiger Swallowtail:
ash, wild cherry, aspen, cottonwood, willow, ornamental plums and cherry (purple-leaved)
Painted Lady:
thistles, hollyhocks
Anise Swallowtail:
mountain parsley, biscuit root

15. Conclusion LARVAE: long-term tenants? ADULTS: casual guests?
INCREASE STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY
ROCKS
PROVIDE A VARIETY OF HABITATS (SUNNY, SHADY…)
OVERLAPPING BLOOM
FLOWERS: RED, ORANGE, PURPLE AND YELLOW
TUBULAR FLOWERS ARE BETTER
BIG PATCHES ARE BETTER THAN SINGLE FLOWERS
LARVAE: long-term tenants?
KNOW FOOD PLANTS PREFERRED BY THE LARVAE