Scientific Question & Analysis:

What are the native butterflies and moths in Waterville and farm fields?
Project design matrix (pdf)
Graphs

Butterflies of Waterville

There are 49 species of butterflies in Waterville and we want to find them all! We have moths too.

One of them is the White-lined Sphinx Moth (Sphinx = SSSS finks)

The butterfly we are going to tell you about is the Painted Lady.

First, we will tell you about the differences between moths and butterflies.

These are things we have observed:

• Antennae on moths are skinny.
• There are no KNOBS on moth antennae... or they can be feathery.
• Butterflies have skinny antennae with knobs on the ends.
• Moths fly at night.
• Butterflies fly during the day.
• Moths are darker, dull and not a lot of pretty colors because they fly at night.
• Eyes on the wings are for the predators so they think they are looking at them.
• There are scales on butterfly wings.
• The top of butterfly wings are more colorful than the bottom side.
• Butterflies drink nectar and moths eat clothes.

Life Cycle

• Some butterflies do not eat
• Caterpillars job is to eat
• Chrysalis job is to create the butterfly
• The butterfly's job is to make eggs

Painted Lady

WINGS

• Black spots on the bottom wings
• White spots on the top wings
• Both wings have black in them
• Orange wings with black veins
• White edges around wings

• Brown fuzzy body

Drawing

We learned to draw a butterfly by drawing on one side, then folding the paper in half and tracing the other side

Definitions:

Lepidopterist = One who is versed in, or studies, butterflies and moths.

Lepidopteran = any of a large order (Lepidoptera) of insects comprising the butterflies, moths, and skippers that as adults have four broad or lanceolate wings usually covered with minute overlapping and often brightly colored scales and that as larvae are caterpillars.

Resources:

American Painted Lady - Fact Sheet for Grades K-6

Literate about Biodiversity »