Chrysalis/Butterfly Update

This week the children asked more questions about butterflies. By the end of the week, we went outside and release 11 butterflies and there were 6 chrysalids still in the butterfly house.

The children thought about all the changes happening inside each chrysalis. One student was wrapped in thin paper to help show and understand the difficulty of making such big changes in such a small space.

Here are some of the facts the class talked about:

* Butterflies drink but do not eat. (We put orange slices and orange Gatorade in the butterfly house for them to drink.

* A butterfly uses some of its blood to help straighten and flatten its wings when it comes out of the chrysalis. Then they push this blood out, since its not needed anymore.

* A butterfly uses its feet to taste.

* A butterfly uses its two antennae to smell.

* Their are over 100,000 kinds or species of moths and butterflies in the world. Of these, 15,000 are butterflies and 85,000 are moths.

* Butterflies breathe through holes in their sides called spiracles.

* Butterflies, like all insects, have 6 legs. However, only 4 legs can be seen. The two legs at the front are very small and short and difficult to see.

* The colours and patterns on butterfly wings are decided by the butterfly's DNA and are made up of small, coloured, overlapping scales (like pixels on a compter screen).