Summer is on its way and with that brings the butterfly.

Butterflies are very cool creatures. They come in a variety of colors and are found in most areas of the world.

Did you know butterflies have four wings? They also taste with their feet and use their long tongues to collect nectar.

Butterflies also have four parts to their life cycle; egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.  

Let’s explore some of the world’s most amazing butterflies.

Don’t let this opportunity “flutter by.”

The Queen Alexandra’s Butterfly

Did you know this is the largest butterfly in the world?  

Females are bigger than males. She can reach 12.2 inches wide. This beautiful butterfly can be found in the protected forests of the Oro Province – that is in Papua New Guinea.

Females are brown and the males are iridescent blue.

The Great Mormon Butterfly

Did you know this butterfly is found in Southeast Asia?  

The Great Mormon Butterfly can reach up to 5.9 inches. It can also mimic other butterflies that taste yucky – this is how it stays safe from predators.

The Great Mormon Butterfly has even been known to fly at very high altitudes. In fact, it can go as high as 6,900 feet into the Himalayas.

The Glasswinged Butterfly

Did you know this species of butterfly is quite small?  

It only grows to be about 2.4 inches. Another cool thing about this butterfly is its wings are transparent – that means you can see through them, like glass.

It can be found from Mexico through Panama and into Columbia.

The Dead-leaf Butterfly

Did you know this butterfly has a great way of blending in?  

The Dead-leaf Butterfly looks like…well…a brown, dead leaf – this helps it stay safe from hungry predators.

However, when its wings are open, it is very colorful and beautiful.

The Anna’s Eighty-Eight Butterfly

Did you know this butterfly looks like it has the number 88 on it?  

Anna’s Eighty-Eight Butterfly can be found in Central and South America.

It prefers the wet tropical regions over dry areas. Unlike other butterflies, this species likes to eat rotting fruit and animal poop. EEEW!

More Butterfly Facts

• The wings of the butterfly are made up of tiny scales – that’s what gives them their colors and patterns
• It is estimated that there is between 15,000 and 20,000 different species of the butterfly
• All butterflies start out as a caterpillar
• The butterfly attaches its eggs to leaves with a special glue
• Most caterpillars are plant eaters (herbivores)

What do you think of the butterfly? Tell us in the comments section!

Print and color your very own butterfly with our Butterfly Coloring Page pdf