9 / June / 2022
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Caterpillars and Butterflies|Poem by Kiaan,7,Delhi+Some cool facts
9-year-old Kiaan from Delhi shares a wonderful poem on his intrigue with butterflies.
Caterpillar would eat leaves, build a cocoon and within it quietly lie,
Then come out as a colourful butterfly.
They are majestic creatures,
Spreading pollen is one of their special features.
Curly tongues and multicoloured wings,
Butterflies are such beautiful things.
They flutter about and are difficult to hold,
Butterflies bring good luck, we are told.
They have been around for millions of years!
And, always remind us to forget our fears.
They enhance the beauty of gardens with their lovely features,
We must all protect these lovely creatures.
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Dont miss the accompanying cool facts, shared/ acknowledged by Subhadra Devi, bird photographer turned birder, a nature enthusiast and a member of the National Conservation Foundation (NCF), India.
Cool Fact# 1- Butterflies are millions of years old!
Butterflies mate and the females oviposit (lay eggs), which passes on their genes to the next generation. This process has been at work for the last 48 million years for butterflies and 170 million years for moths. Can you believe that?
Read more by the Smithsonian here
Cool Fact# 2- Caterpillars increase their body mass by as much as 1,000 times or more!
We all have read stories of how much the caterpillar eats, right?
During the larval stage, the caterpillar must consume enough to sustain itself through its pupal stage and into adulthood. Without proper nutrition, it may not have the energy to complete its metamorphosis. Malnourished caterpillars may reach adulthood but be unable to produce eggs. Caterpillars can eat an enormous amount during a life cycle stage that typically lasts several weeks. Some consume 27,000 times their body weight during their lifetime.
Read more by the ThoughtCo here
Cool Fact#4- Caterpillars have 12 eyes!
On each side of its head, a caterpillar has 6 tiny eyelets, called stemmata, arranged in a semi-circle. One of the 6 eyelets is usually offset a bit and located closer to the antennae. You would think an insect with 12 eyes would have excellent eyesight, but that’s not the case. The stemmata serve merely to help the caterpillar differentiate between light and dark. If you watch a caterpillar, you’ll notice it sometimes moves its head from side to side. This most likely helps it judge depth and distance as it navigates somewhat blindly.
Read more by the ThoughtCo here
Cool Fact#3- Butterflies are not the only ones going through complete metamorphosis
Butterflies are perhaps most famous for the process by which a plump little caterpillar transforms into a winged work of art. But they’re not unique in going through this drastic life change, called complete metamorphosis, or holometabolism.
A whopping 75 percent of known insects—among them bees, beetles, flies, and moths—develop in four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Most striking about complete metamorphosis is how different the larva looks and behaves from the adult.
Read more by the National Geographic here
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