Butterfly Information and the Bizarre Truth

You know there are around 30,000 searches a month in the search engines for butterfly information - that's people who are interested in learning more about our little butterfly. From Africa to America, from Ohio to the Orient, someone somewhere is looking for butterfly information to help them;

- Identify a butterfly

- Collect butterflies

- Breed butterflies

- Display a butterfly

- Buy butterflies

Not all of these are politically-correct these days although farming seems to be acceptable, but searches they nevertheless are. That clearly demonstrates a huge interest in facts about butterflies around the world. With over 17,500 species of butterfly on this planet, there is plenty to learn about this colorful insect and its habits and habitats. The life cycle of the butterfly has fascinated many people, and rightly so. It is one of the few insects that doesn't go through a nymph stage (an immature form that resembles the adult) but instead has the following life cycle:

- Egg

- Larva (caterpillar)

- Pupa (chrysallis)

- Butterfly (imago)

That's pretty unique and the end result is something that delights many when the butterfly emerges from its sleep. Of course, butterfly spotting usually happens during the summer, so we often associate butterflies with this brighter, warmer time of year (when we tend to be happier).

So what sort of butterfly information do people want? Well surprisingly, whilst many people can recognize at least a handful of butterflies in the region, most are not sure about basic information such as feeding habits, where butterflies go at night and how weather affects them and so on. Did you know for example that butterflies don't eat? Did you know that they don't grow and they can't fly when the temperature is below a certain point?

There is plenty of new butterfly information and and an abundance of fascinating facts that you can gather that will keep you amazed for a long time, as I have been. The information may help you identify a butterfly that often flies in your backyard. It may help you understand how to help butterflies survive better by giving them the right foods in your garden. You can also try raising butterflies yourself in your own home - and that can be really rewarding.

Take time out and learn something new to surprise you or your kids.