Delicate is a word often associated with butterflies. While their slender bodies and slight wings are the picture of fragility, their lively colours are anything but weak.
More than fifteen thousand species of butterflies flutter all over the world. They come in all sizes and shapes, patterns and colours, each a delight to see. The Common Blue Morpho at rest is brown with yellow eyespots, but in flight they show off brilliant blue wings. The Giant Owl Butterfly has a wingspan of almost half a foot, and best illustrates a butterfly's defense mechanism of mimicry: The large eyespots on these butterflies look just like an owl's, fooling predators into finding something else for lunch.
Their playful colours and flighty movements make it easy to forget butterflies are a wonder in aerodynamics and ecological diversity. Seeing these butterflies flit from flower to flower is one of the simple wonders of the world. ...More information below photos...
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Butterflies feed on a host of liquids, anything from flower nectar to animal poo, and even human sweat. They live in all 10 Canadian provinces, and you can get up close to these bright creatures on both coasts at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens in British Columbia and the Newfoundland Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion in Newfoundland and Labrador. At both sites, you can wander through controlled tropical climates where free-flying butterflies show off their colours and learn about the life cycle of each species.