1. Butterflies and moths are part of the same group of insects, known as ‘Lepidoptera’. To tell them apart, butterflies fly in bright sunshine, while moths are most active at night.
2. The lifecycle of a butterfly is in four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult butterfly.
3. Most butterflies don’t live very long. The Priam’s birdwing butterfly only lives for 10 days!
4. Butterflies have four wings, not two as you may think.
5. The wings of butterflies and moths, with their vibrant colors and patterns, are actually made up of tiny scales.
6. The largest butterfly in the world is the female Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, with a wingspan ofover 25cm!
7. The smallest butterfly is the Western Blue Pigmy, which is only 2cm across.
8. Butterflies need heat to be able to move. When you see them resting in the sunshine, they are warming up their wings so they can fly.