Their graceful flight, myriad of colors and intricate patterns make butterflies so interesting. Many of us are tempted to catch one and keep it all to ourselves, if only for a few minutes. But catching butterflies is not as easy as it sounds. Any attempt to get closer is enough to make them fly away.
Whether you want to catch butterflies for fun or for education, this article will make this task easier for you.
Butterfly Catching Gear
Before setting out to catch butterflies, get a net. This is safer than using bare hands as they may crush the butterflies. It is also not a very effective method as the butterflies may slip through your fingers. A net increases the area where the butterflies can be trapped. If you are in a vast field, you may require binoculars to spot butterflies that are far off. For those catching butterflies for education or research missions, you may need a butterfly guide for easier identification. As butterflies are caught on warm days, you need to be lightly dressed to run around comfortably. If you want to keep them to observe them for a while, get a butterfly habitat to hold them.
Common Butterflies
You can catch butterflies from a selection of over 20,000 species. These include swallowtails, blues, skippers, cabbage whites, checker spots, painted ladies, orange sulfur, sleepy orange, monarch, red admiral, mourning cloak, common buckeye, dusky wing, gulf fritillary and gray hair streak.
Where Butterflies are Found
Most people think that butterflies can only be caught in the country side. This is not so, as urban areas too, have their own butterflies. A place with blooming flowers, either in the country side or in the city, will allow you a chance to catch butterflies. If you have a flower or vegetable garden, you will find butterflies looking for nectar. You will be more successful in catching butterflies during the warm months of the year. With permission, you can also catch butterflies in wildlife conservation areas.
How to Catch Butterflies
The best way to catch butterflies is by using a shallow net. Swing the net horizontally to the ground as opposed to swinging it down. Do not try to catch butterflies that are flying. Wait for them to land before making any move. Avoid making sudden moves and noise as this might cause the butterflies to fly away beyond your reach. If butterflies are proving too difficult to catch, spray sugar water on your hand and stand or seat still. This will attract them into the palm of your hand. To enable you catch butterflies next time, you must release those caught today.
Cool Butterfly Facts
These butterfly facts are a great way to amaze your family and friends; kids will especially be fascinated.
- Butterflies can see green, red and yellow.
- Butterflies can reach a flight speed of up to 12 miles per hour.
- Unless they are at a body temperature of at least 86 degrees, butterflies cannot fly; that is why they fly on warm days.
- The largest butterfly in the world is the Queen Alexandra Bird wing, with a 12″ wingspan.
- The Pygmy Blue, from Papua, New Guinea, is the smallest butterfly.
- There are 24,000 species of butterflies, most of which can be found in the tropics.
- In addition to communicating through sound from wings, butterflies also communicate by releasing hormones.
- Butterflies taste leaves with their feet.