Butterfly parts
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Butterflies bear the scientific name of Lepidoptera. To this group belong not only butterflies, but also moths. Butterflies are distinguished from the latter because at rest they have their wings folded, while moths have them open. They also have brightly colored wings, often with striking patterns. All butterflies are diurnal and we usually see them frequently.
Interesting: Spider parts
These flying organisms are insects belonging to the phylum of arthropods, that is, they are invertebrates with articulated legs and an exoskeleton that protects them from the outside. Being insects, they are divided into three tagmas or structural parts in their body. In this article we show you diagrams of a butterfly in such a way that we will review what the parts of the butterfly are and what specific structures are found in them.
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Cephalon
Parts of a butterfly for kids: This is the first part of butterflies, located in the anterior region and also known as the head . As in other animals, the sensory organs are concentrated here. Therefore, the parts of the butterfly in the cephalon are:
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Antennas
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Butterfly antennae are long and club-shaped: elongated and with a rounded tip. They are used to perceive their environment with olfactory and tactile function, with which they can even perceive sound vibrations. They also work for orientation . Monarch butterflies were found to use these antennae, and not the brain as previously believed, to locate themselves during their long journeys of hundreds of kilometers across the Americas. They use the antennae to detect the position of the sun and to regulate their circadian cycles .
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Compound eyes
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Butterfly eyes are composed of hundreds of ommatidia , small but complete eyes with optic nerve, cornea, and lens. This allows them to assemble the image with the different perspectives received by each ommatidium, having excellent control over their environment. Despite these hundreds of eyes, their vision is not very good and they need the help of their sensory appendages.
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Spirithorn
This proboscis is a tube-shaped coiling tongue . It is adapted to suck liquids as if it were a straw. When it is not being used it is rolled up in a spiral, hence its name, and when it is going to be used for food it is extended. It is very flexible and can be used to feed on fruits, flower nectar or even sap exuded by trees.
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Aorta
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Here begins the circulatory system . The equivalent of blood in butterflies is hemolymph and this runs through the butterfly through its blood vessels. This aorta receives hemolymph from the heart and reaches below the butterfly’s brain to supply all the sensory organs located in the head. In the following diagram of a butterfly you can see each part in detail.
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Chest
Parts of a butterfly and its functions: If you are wondering what the structure of the body of butterflies is, and perhaps moths too, we bring you the answer. The thorax is the central region of butterflies and is bulging in shape. From here their mobile appendages are detached. In this way, in the thorax we find the following parts of the butterfly:
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Parts of a butterfly and its functions: Of the parts of a butterfly, what stands out the most are its colorful wings. They consist of two pairs: the forewings and the hindwings . They can be in a variety of patterns, shapes, and colors, even in ultraviolet that we cannot see with the human eye. These patterns and colors are useful for camouflage or alerting predators . They are made up of two layers intertwined with veins and are covered by tiny chitin scales that come off like dust when touched.
Their wings are functional and are used to move from one place to another, a very important characteristic for certain migratory species that seek better temperatures to reproduce. To move them in their characteristic figure-eight pattern, they use the muscles of the chest.
Legs
Parts of a butterfly and its functions: They have three pairs, six legs in all , each segmented into several units. They are divided into front legs, middle legs and hind legs, depending on their location. Starting from the base that joins them to the thorax is the coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia with spines, tarsus composed of several tarsomeres, and at the tip it ends with the nail.
These legs also have sensory capabilities to detect aromas and flavors , thus helping the butterflies to have information about their environment.
Spiracles
Parts of a butterfly and its functions: Body parts of butterfly: Lastly, within the parts of a butterfly are the spiracles. They are holes that open and close to allow the passage of oxygen inside . They are connected to your tracheal respiratory system to carry oxygen throughout your system.
Parts of a butterfly and its functions: The abdomen contains the organs to carry out the basic functions of butterflies. Within these parts of a butterfly, the organs are divided into:
Digestive system
It contains the glandular stomach and intestine, both within a digestive tube. It should be noted that everything the butterfly ingests must be liquid food so that it can process it well.
Reproductive system
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Body parts of butterfly: The reproductive system of butterflies is determined between species and they are complementary to each other. Thus they can only reproduce among themselves. In this way, the parts of the butterfly in the reproductive system are:
- The female reproductive system includes: the ovaries composed of Ovarioles, oviducts that meet in a common oviduct, a genital chamber equivalent to the vagina known as corpus brusae , an ovipositor to place the eggs and an ovopro as an exit duct.
- The male system has: a penis called the aedeagus and a sheath that covers it called the vesica. They have a pair of spermiducts and testicles. They also have claspers, a structure that assists during copulation.
Circulatory system
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Body parts of butterfly: Another part of a butterfly is its circulatory system that continues in the abdomen and transports hemolymph through a so-called dorsal tube. It is in the abdominal area where the heart is located , which has an elongated shape. It is supported by the central diaphragm and the ventral diaphragm, which transport hemolymph.
Excretory system
Parts of a butterfly for kids: Body parts of butterfly: Excretions and osmoregulation in butterflies occur within the Malpighian tubes. These receive the contents of the digestive tract to make excretion more efficient, with less water loss. Once processed, it is excreted along with feces through the anus.
It is necessary to add that, in these parts of the butterfly (the abdomen), there are also spiracles for respiration .
